Select the correct answer.

Which electron configuration represents the element carbon (atomic number 6)?

A. [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6\)[/tex]
B. [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^4\)[/tex]
C. [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^2\)[/tex]
D. [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2\)[/tex]



Answer :

To determine the correct electron configuration for carbon, we should first recognize that carbon has an atomic number of 6, meaning it has 6 electrons. These electrons will fill the available atomic orbitals in the order of increasing energy levels according to the Aufbau principle.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how the electrons fill the orbitals:

1. 1s Orbital: The first two electrons will occupy the 1s orbital. This orbital can hold up to 2 electrons.
[tex]\[ 1s^2 \][/tex]

2. 2s Orbital: The next two electrons will fill the 2s orbital. This orbital also can hold up to 2 electrons.
[tex]\[ 2s^2 \][/tex]

3. 2p Orbital: The remaining two electrons will go into the 2p orbital. The 2p subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons, but since carbon only has two more electrons left, they will occupy the 2p orbital.
[tex]\[ 2p^2 \][/tex]

Putting all this together, the electron configuration for carbon is:
[tex]\[ 1s^2 2s^2 2p^2 \][/tex]

Now let's examine each option to find the correct match:

A. [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6\)[/tex] - This configuration has 10 electrons, which doesn't match the atomic number of carbon (6 electrons). Therefore, this option is incorrect.

B. [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^4\)[/tex] - This configuration has 8 electrons, which also does not match the atomic number of carbon. Thus, this option is incorrect.

C. [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^2\)[/tex] - This configuration correctly represents 6 electrons fitting within the described orbitals. This matches carbon’s atomic number, so this option is correct.

D. [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2\)[/tex] - This configuration only accounts for 4 electrons. Since carbon has 6 electrons, this option is incorrect.

Based on this detailed breakdown, the correct electron configuration for carbon (atomic number 6) is:

[tex]\[ \boxed{1s^2 2s^2 2p^2} \][/tex]

Therefore, the correct answer is option C.