Identify the true statement(s) of potassium's electronic configuration.
1. Potassium atom in the lowest-energy state has its last electron in the 4s orbital.
2. Potassium atom in the lowest-energy state has its last electron in the 3d orbital.
3. The electronic configuration of potassium is 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶3d¹.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The electronic configuration of potassium (K), which has an atomic number of 19, is [Ar]4s^1, indicating its last electron is in the 4s orbital, making statement 1 correct. Statement 2 is incorrect because potassium does not have electrons in the 3d orbital in its ground state. Statement 3 is incorrect due to the nonsensical representation of the electronic configuration.

​Identify the True Statement(s) of Potassium's Electronic Configuration

Identify the True Statement(s) of Potassium's Electronic Configuration