The ground-state electron configuration of a calcium atom is A) [Ne]3s²_. B) [Ne]3s²3p⁶_. C) [Ar]4s¹3d¹_. D) [Ar]4s²_. E) [Ar]3d²_.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The electron configuration of calcium can be determined by using the filling order of the orbitals. The first two electrons fill the 1s orbital, followed by two electrons in the 2s orbital, and six electrons in the 2p orbital. The next two electrons fill the 3s orbital, leading to the configuration [Ne]3s². Finally, the remaining two electrons fill the 4s orbital, leading to the ground-state configuration of [Ar]4s². Therefore, the correct choice is D which has the correct configuration [Ar]4s².

The Ground-State Electron Configuration of a Calcium Atom Is