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### Atomic Numbers and Electron Configurations

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Which is the electron configuration for zinc?

A. [tex]1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^5[/tex]
B. [tex]1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^1 3d^{10}[/tex]
C. [tex]1s^2 2s^2 2p^5 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^{10}[/tex]
D. [tex]1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^{10}[/tex]

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Answer :

GinnyAnswer
Let's approach the question step-by-step to find the correct electron configuration for zinc.

1. Determine the Atomic Number of Zinc:
- The atomic number of zinc is 30, which means a neutral zinc atom has 30 electrons.

2. Apply the Aufbau Principle:
- The Aufbau principle tells us to add electrons to atomic orbitals in order of increasing energy levels.

3. Filling Electron Orbitals:
- We follow the sequence of filling orbitals to accommodate all 30 electrons:
- 1s orbital: 2 electrons → 1s²
- 2s orbital: 2 electrons → 2s²
- 2p orbital: 6 electrons → 2p⁶
- 3s orbital: 2 electrons → 3s²
- 3p orbital: 6 electrons → 3p⁶
- 4s orbital: 2 electrons → 4s²
- 3d orbital: 10 electrons (infills after 4s for zinc) → 3d¹⁰

4. Compile the Configuration:
- Combining all these filled orbitals, the electron configuration for zinc is:
```
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰
```

5. Identify the Correct Option:
- Reviewing the given options, we notice the correct configuration matches:
```
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰
```

Therefore, the correct electron configuration for zinc is:
```
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰
```

This matches the following option provided in the list:
```
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰
```