Answered

Which element does the electron configuration [tex]$1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^2$[/tex] represent?

A. B
B. C
C. N
D. K



Answer :

To determine which element an electron configuration represents, you can follow these steps:

1. Identify the Electron Configuration: We are given the electron configuration [tex]\( 1s^2 2s^2 2p^2 \)[/tex].

2. Calculate the Total Number of Electrons:
- The first term, [tex]\( 1s^2 \)[/tex], means there are 2 electrons in the 1s orbital.
- The second term, [tex]\( 2s^2 \)[/tex], means there are 2 electrons in the 2s orbital.
- The third term, [tex]\( 2p^2 \)[/tex], means there are 2 electrons in the 2p orbital.

By adding these numbers together, we get:
[tex]\[ 2 (from \, 1s^2) + 2 (from \, 2s^2) + 2 (from \, 2p^2) = 6 \, electrons \][/tex]

3. Determine the Atomic Number:
The total number of electrons in a neutral atom is equal to its atomic number. Therefore, with 6 electrons, the atomic number is 6.

4. Identify the Element:
Using the periodic table, the element with atomic number 6 is Carbon (C).

So, the electron configuration [tex]\( 1s^2 2s^2 2p^2 \)[/tex] represents the element Carbon (C).