Which is the electronic configuration for oxygen?
A. 1s2 2s2 2p1
B. 1s² 2s² 2p3
C. 1s2 2s2 2p4
D. 1s2 2s2 2p6
Answer (2)
Determine the number of electrons in a neutral oxygen atom: 8.
Fill the electron shells and subshells in order of increasing energy: 1s, 2s, 2p.
Distribute the electrons among the subshells: 1s² 2s² 2p⁴.
The electronic configuration for oxygen is 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 4 .
Explanation
Understanding Electronic Configuration Let's break down how to find the electronic configuration of oxygen. This is like figuring out how the electrons are arranged around the oxygen atom.
Finding the Number of Electrons First, we need to know how many electrons oxygen has. Oxygen's atomic number is 8, which means a neutral oxygen atom has 8 electrons.
Filling the Subshells Now, we'll fill the electron shells and subshells in order of increasing energy. Remember the order: 1s, 2s, 2p, and so on.
The 1s subshell can hold up to 2 electrons.
The 2s subshell can hold up to 2 electrons.
The 2p subshell can hold up to 6 electrons.
Distributing the Electrons Let's fill them up! We have 8 electrons to place:
The 1s subshell gets 2 electrons: 1s²
The 2s subshell gets 2 electrons: 1s² 2s²
We've placed 4 electrons so far (2 + 2 = 4). We have 4 electrons left (8 - 4 = 4).
The 2p subshell gets the remaining 4 electrons: 1s² 2s² 2p⁴
The Answer So, the electronic configuration for oxygen is 1s² 2s² 2p⁴.
Examples
Understanding electron configurations helps us predict how elements will interact to form chemical bonds. For example, knowing oxygen's electron configuration allows us to understand how it forms stable compounds like water (H₂O) or carbon dioxide (CO₂). The arrangement of electrons dictates an atom's ability to share or transfer electrons, which is fundamental to chemical reactions. Visualizing electron configurations is like understanding the basic building blocks of molecules and materials around us.
The electronic configuration for oxygen, which has 8 electrons, is 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 4 . This configuration is essential for understanding how oxygen interacts chemically. The correct answer is option C: 1s² 2s² 2p⁴.
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