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
```
