Draw the electronic configuration for a neutral atom of argon
The electron configuration of a neutral atom of argon (Ar) is:
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6
The electronic configuration for a neutral atom of argon (Ar) is:
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6
Let's break it down step-by-step:
Step 1: Start with the 1s orbital. In this orbital, there are 2 electrons since each orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons. So, the configuration becomes: 1s^2
Step 2: Move on to the 2s orbital. Like the 1s orbital, it can also hold 2 electrons. Therefore, the configuration becomes: 1s^2 2s^2
Step 3: Proceed to the 2p orbital. The 2p orbital consists of three sub-orbitals: 2px, 2py, and 2pz. Each sub-orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so the total number of electrons that can fit into the 2p orbital is 6. Consequently, the configuration for the 2p orbital becomes: 1s^2 2s^2 2px^2 2py^2 2pz^2 or more simply, 2p^6.
Step 4: Now, let's move on to the 3s orbital. Similar to the 1s and 2s orbitals, it can hold a maximum of 2 electrons. Therefore, the configuration becomes: 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2
Step 5: Finally, we reach the 3p orbital. Just like the 2p orbital, it also consists of three sub-orbitals: 3px, 3py, and 3pz. Each sub-orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, resulting in a total of 6 electrons for the 3p orbital. Hence, our final configuration is: 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6.
Thus, the electronic configuration for a neutral atom of argon (Ar) is: 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6.
To draw the electronic configuration for a neutral atom of argon, we need to follow a set of rules known as the Aufbau principle, which states that, in an atom, electrons are filled into available orbitals in order of increasing energy. Here's how we can determine the electronic configuration of argon:
1. Determine the atomic number of argon: Argon (Ar) has an atomic number of 18, which means it has 18 electrons.
2. Begin filling electrons into the orbitals: Electrons fill the orbitals starting from the lowest energy level (closest to the nucleus) and filling up to higher energy levels. The energy levels are represented by principal quantum numbers (n), which begin with 1 and increase indefinitely.
The electron configuration of argon can be represented as follows:
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶
or,
[Ne] 3s² 3p⁶
Explanation:
- The noble gas neon (Ne) has the same electron configuration as the first 10 electrons of argon (1s² 2s² 2p⁶). We use the noble gas notation ([Ne]) to represent those 10 electrons.
- After neon, we add the remaining 8 electrons of argon. These go into the 3s and 3p orbitals, resulting in 3s² 3p⁶.
Therefore, the electronic configuration of a neutral atom of argon can be represented as [Ne] 3s² 3p⁶ or 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶.