Enter the symbol for the element represented by the following electronic configuration.
[Ar]4s23d6
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How does this work?
Count the electrons. Ar has 18 and add 8 more for 26. Look up element #26 on the periodic table. It helps if you separate them a little better when typing
[Ar] 4s2 3d6; otherwise it appears as 4s23
To find the symbol for the element represented by the given electronic configuration [Ar]4s23d6, we need to understand how electron configuration notation works.
Electron configuration is a way to represent the arrangement of electrons in an atom. It uses the principle energy levels (n), sublevels (s, p, d, f), and orbitals to describe the distribution of electrons.
In the given configuration [Ar]4s23d6, "[Ar]" represents the electron configuration of the noble gas argon (Ar), which has the electron configuration 1s22s22p63s23p6. The noble gas notation allows us to show the filled inner electron shells, making it easier to write the configuration for elements beyond the noble gas.
The notation 4s23d6 represents the outermost electron shells (the fourth energy level, 4s) and (the fourth energy level, 3d). The superscripts indicate the number of electrons in each orbital.
To determine the symbol for the element with this electronic configuration, we look at the atomic number. The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
In this case, the electronic configuration corresponds to the element with atomic number 26 because the 4s and 3d orbitals together contain 26 electrons. The symbol for the element with atomic number 26 is Fe, which stands for iron.
Therefore, the symbol for the element represented by the electronic configuration [Ar]4s23d6 is Fe.