Which shows the electron configuration for Silicon (Si)? (A) [Ar]4s 2 3d 10 4p 4 (B) [Ar]3d 1 4s 2 (C) [Ne]3s 2 3p 4 (D) [Ne]3s 2 3p 2
Answer (1)
To determine the electron configuration of Silicon (Si), we need to understand its position on the periodic table. Silicon has an atomic number of 14, which means it has 14 electrons.
The correct way to write the electron configuration involves filling the lowest energy orbitals first according to the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle. Here's the step-by-step process to determine the configuration:
Fill the 1s orbital:
The 1s orbital can hold 2 electrons, so it takes 2 of the available electrons, giving us 1s².
Fill the 2s orbital:
The 2s orbital can also hold 2 electrons, so it takes the next 2 electrons, resulting in 2s².
Fill the 2p orbitals:
The 2p orbitals can hold a total of 6 electrons. So the next 6 electrons go into the 2p orbitals, giving us 2p⁶.
Fill the 3s orbital:
The 3s orbital holds 2 electrons. Therefore, the next 2 electrons occupy the 3s orbital, resulting in 3s².
Fill the 3p orbitals:
The 3p orbitals can hold 6 electrons. Silicon has 2 remaining electrons, which fill part of the 3p orbitals, giving us 3p².
the complete electron configuration for Silicon is: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p².
This configuration can be simplified using the noble gas notation. Neon (Ne) represents 1s² 2s² 2p⁶, so we can write:
[Ne] 3s² 3p².
Looking at the given multiple-choice options, the correct answer is (D) [Ne]3s²3p² , which shows the electron configuration for Silicon.
