Answer :

To identify the element that has the electron configuration [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^4\)[/tex], we need to follow a step-by-step process to determine which element corresponds to this electron arrangement. Here’s a detailed step-by-step explanation:

1. Understand the Electron Configuration:
- [tex]\(1s^2\)[/tex]: 2 electrons in the 1s orbital.
- [tex]\(2s^2\)[/tex]: 2 electrons in the 2s orbital.
- [tex]\(2p^6\)[/tex]: 6 electrons in the 2p orbitals.
- [tex]\(3s^2\)[/tex]: 2 electrons in the 3s orbital.
- [tex]\(3p^4\)[/tex]: 4 electrons in the 3p orbitals.

2. Add Up the Electrons:
- Total electrons = [tex]\(2 (from 1s^2) + 2 (from 2s^2) + 6 (from 2p^6) + 2 (from 3s^2) + 4 (from 3p^4)\)[/tex].

Now we add these up:
[tex]\[ 2 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 4 = 16. \][/tex]

3. Determine the Atomic Number:
- The total number of electrons is 16, which means the element has an atomic number of 16.

4. Identify the Element:
- With an atomic number of 16, we refer to the periodic table to identify the element. The element with atomic number 16 is sulfur (S).

Therefore, the element that has the electron configuration [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^4\)[/tex] is sulfur, which corresponds to option B.

So, our final answer is:

B. [tex]\( \mathbf{S} \)[/tex]