How many electrons are in p orbitals in an atom of oxygen?
I answered 8 and 6 but it's wrong. Can anyone pls help.
The atomic number of oxygen is 8, which means there are 8 electrons in an oxygen atom. To determine the number of electrons in p orbitals, we need to look at the electron configuration of oxygen.
The electron configuration of oxygen is 1s² 2s² 2p⁴. The 2p orbital can hold a maximum of 6 electrons. So, in an oxygen atom, there are 6 electrons in p orbitals.
Therefore, the correct answer is 6 electrons in p orbitals in an atom of oxygen.
To determine the number of electrons in the p orbitals of an oxygen atom, we need to understand the electron configuration of oxygen.
The electron configuration of oxygen is 1s² 2s² 2p⁴. This notation indicates the distribution of electrons in the atom's energy levels and orbitals.
To find the number of electrons in the p orbitals, we focus on the 2p sublevel. Within the p sublevel, there are three orbitals: px, py, and pz. Each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons.
Since the electron configuration of oxygen indicates 2p⁴, it means that there are four electrons distributed among the three 2p orbitals. Two electrons will occupy the px orbital, two in the py orbital, and no electrons in the pz orbital.
Therefore, an oxygen atom has a total of 4 electrons in the p orbitals.
8O16.
1s2 2s2 2p4
2 + 2 + 4 = 8. So there are 4 p electrons.