The magnesium ion has an electron configuration like that of which noble gas?
To determine the noble gas with an electron configuration similar to that of the magnesium ion, we need to first understand the electron configuration of the magnesium ion.
The magnesium ion has a charge of +2 because it loses two electrons from its neutral state. The neutral magnesium atom has an electron configuration of 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2, with a total of 12 electrons. When it loses two electrons, the electron configuration becomes 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6.
To find the noble gas with a similar electron configuration, we look at the nearest noble gas element that has a lower atomic number than magnesium. The noble gas with the lower atomic number is neon (Ne), which has the electron configuration 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6.
Hence, the magnesium ion (Mg^2+) has an electron configuration similar to that of neon (Ne).