To determine the element that forms an ion with a +2 charge and has an electronic configuration of [Xe] 5s²4d¹⁰5p⁴, we need to follow the process of electron removal for a cation and identify which neutral element would result in this configuration after losing two electrons.
Let's break down the process step-by-step:
1. First, we identify that the notation [Xe] stands for the electronic configuration of the noble gas Xenon. The atomic number of Xenon is 54, which means any element with this configuration has all the electrons that Xenon has as its core electrons.
2. Beyond the Xenon core, the electronic configuration continues with additional electrons in the 5s, 4d, and 5p orbitals. This configuration represents a neutral atom, not an ion.
3. For a neutral atom to form a +2 ion, it must lose two electrons. These electrons are lost from the outermost orbitals first, which, in this case, is the 5p orbital.
4. Let's take a look at the full configuration given. Before any electrons are lost, the configuration for the neutral atom is [Xe] 5s²4d¹⁰5p^6. The superscripts denote the number of electrons in each orbital. The 5p orbital is fully populated with six electrons.
5. When this atom forms a +2 ion, it will lose two electrons from the 5p orbital, changing the configuration to [Xe] 5s²4d¹⁰5p⁴.
6. Now, we need to determine the atomic number of the original neutral element. Starting from the Xenon core with an atomic number of 54, we add the electrons in the 5s, 4d, and 5p orbitals.
- Xenon core: 54 electrons
- 5s orbital: 2 electrons
- 4d orbital: 10 electrons
- 5p orbital (before ionization): 6 electrons
- Total before ionization: 54 + 2 + 10 + 6 = 72
7. The atomic number 72 corresponds to the neutral atom that, when it loses two electrons to become a +2 ion, results in the configuration [Xe] 5s²4d¹⁰5p⁴.
8. The element with the atomic number 72 is Hafnium (Hf). However, it is necessary to be cautious here because the original question did not specify Hafnium; we just determined that a neutral atom with atomic number 72 would reach the provided electronic configuration upon losing two electrons. But the electronic configuration given in the original query already reflects the loss of two electrons, so the element is at atomic number 70.
9. Therefore, the element with an atomic number of 70 is Tin (Sn). Tin in its neutral state would have the configuration of [Xe] 5s²4d¹⁰5p^6, and upon losing two electrons to form a +2 ion, the configuration becomes [Xe] 5s²4d¹⁰5p⁴, which matches the query.
In conclusion, Tin (Sn) is the element that forms an ion with a +2 charge and has the electronic configuration [Xe] 5s²4d¹⁰5p⁴.
