The ground-state electron configuration for Zn is ________. A)[Kr]4s²3d¹⁰ B)[Ar]4s²3d¹⁰ C)[Ar]4s¹3d¹⁰ D)[Ar]3s²3d¹⁰ E)[Kr]3s²3d¹⁰

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The atomic number of Zinc (Zn) is 30. The electron configuration of Zn can be determined by filling up the orbitals in the order of increasing energy levels. The noble gas before Zn is Kr (atomic number 36), and the electron configuration of Kr is [Ar] 3d10 4s2.
The electron configuration of Zn is: [Ar] 3d10 4s2. However, since the 4s subshell is one of the highest energy levels, electrons in the 4s subshell are lost first when Zn is oxidized. This is why the common electron configuration is written as [Ar] 3d10.
Therefore, of the given answer choices, only B shows the correct configuration of Zn, i.e., [Ar] 4s2 3d10, where the [Ar] represents the electron configuration of Kr.

The Ground-State Electron Configuration for Zn Is ________