How many unpaired electrons are in a xenon atom?
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
E) 4

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Xenon (Xe) is a noble gas and belongs to Group 18 (or Group 8A) of the periodic table. It has a total of eight valence electrons, occupying the 5p subshell. According to Hund's rule, these electrons will first occupy separate orbitals within the subshell, with parallel spins, before occupying the same orbital. Since all eight electrons are paired up, Xe has no unpaired electrons. Therefore, the correct answer is A) 0.

How Many Unpaired Electrons Are in a Xenon Atom