Two electron configuration:
Mg(Ne)3s^2
Zn(Ar)4s^2 3d^10
Using the configurations, explain the difference in relative reactivity of the 2 metals ( which are Mg and Zn)
To understand the difference in the relative reactivity of magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) based on their electron configurations, let's break down the configurations step by step.
1. Mg (Magnesium):
The electron configuration of magnesium is Mg(Ne)3s², which can be further explained as follows:
- The symbol "Mg" represents the element magnesium.
- "(Ne)" inside brackets represents the electron configuration of the noble gas neon (Ne), which has the electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶.
- "3s²" represents the electron configuration of the 3rd energy level (shell) and indicates the presence of 2 electrons in the 3s subshell.
2. Zn (Zinc):
The electron configuration of zinc is Zn(Ar)4s²3d¹⁰, which can be further explained as follows:
- The symbol "Zn" represents the element zinc.
- "(Ar)" inside brackets represents the electron configuration of the noble gas argon (Ar), which has the electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶.
- "4s²" represents the electron configuration of the 4th energy level (shell) and indicates the presence of 2 electrons in the 4s subshell.
- "3d¹⁰" represents the electron configuration of the 3d subshell and indicates the presence of 10 electrons in the 3d subshell.
Now, let's analyze the electron configurations and discuss the difference in the relative reactivity of Mg and Zn.
1. Electron Configuration Comparison:
The key difference between the electron configurations of Mg and Zn lies in the presence of the 3d orbitals in Zn. While magnesium does not have any electrons in the 3d orbitals, zinc has a completely filled 3d subshell with 10 electrons.
2. Reactivity Explanation:
The presence of partially filled or empty orbitals affects the reactivity of elements. In the case of magnesium, which has a completely filled 3s subshell, its outermost electrons in the 3s subshell are tightly held by the nucleus and are less likely to be easily removed or involved in chemical reactions. Hence, magnesium is relatively less reactive.
On the other hand, zinc has a partially filled 4s subshell and a completely filled 3d subshell. The partially filled 4s subshell allows the outermost electrons of zinc to be more loosely held by the nucleus. Therefore, these electrons are more prone to being involved in chemical reactions or being transferred to other elements during chemical bonding. As a result, zinc is considered more reactive than magnesium.
In summary, the relative reactivity of magnesium and zinc can be attributed to the presence of partially filled or empty orbitals, where zinc's partially filled 4s subshell contributes to its higher reactivity compared to magnesium.