What is the electron configuration of the sulfur ion (S^2-)?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the electron configuration of the sulfur ion (S^2-)?
[Ne] 3s² 3p⁴
[Ne] 3s² 3p⁶
[Ne] 3s² 3p³
[He] 2s² 2p⁶
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the electron configuration of the sulfur ion (S^2-)?
Step 1: Identify the number of electrons in a neutral sulfur atom. Sulfur (S) has 16 electrons.
Step 2: Determine the charge of the sulfur ion (S^2-). The '2-' means it has gained 2 extra electrons.
Step 3: Calculate the total number of electrons in the sulfur ion. 16 (from neutral sulfur) + 2 (extra electrons) = 18 electrons.
Step 4: Write the electron configuration for 18 electrons. The first 10 electrons fill the 1s, 2s, and 2p orbitals, which is [Ne] (neon configuration).
Step 5: The remaining 8 electrons fill the 3s and 3p orbitals. 2 electrons go into 3s and 6 electrons go into 3p.
Step 6: Combine the configurations. The full electron configuration for S^2- is [Ne] 3s² 3p⁶.
