What is the ground-state electron configuration for the element copper (Z = 29)? A) [Ne] 4s² 3d⁹ B) [Ar] 4s² 3d⁹ C) [Ar] 4s¹ 3d¹⁰ D) [Ar] 3d⁹

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The correct electron configuration for copper (Z = 29) is [Ar] 4s^1 3d^10, which is represented in the given options as [Ar] 4s¹ 3d¹⁰. Copper is an exception to the expected order because it prefers to have a full or half-full d subshell due to stability reasons, thus it has a 4s^1 3d^10 configuration instead of 4s^2 3d^9.

What Is the Ground-State Electron Configuration for the Element Copper