What is the principal quantum number of the outermost electron in a chlorine ato
Practice Questions
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What is the principal quantum number of the outermost electron in a chlorine atom? (2022)
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Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the principal quantum number of the outermost electron in a chlorine atom? (2022)
Step 1: Find the atomic number of chlorine. Chlorine has an atomic number of 17.
Step 2: Determine how many electrons chlorine has. Since the atomic number is 17, chlorine has 17 electrons.
Step 3: Understand how electrons are arranged in shells. Electrons fill shells in order: 1st shell (2 electrons), 2nd shell (8 electrons), and 3rd shell (up to 18 electrons).
Step 4: Fill the shells with the 17 electrons: 2 electrons in the 1st shell, 8 electrons in the 2nd shell, and the remaining 7 electrons go into the 3rd shell.
Step 5: Identify the outermost shell where the last electrons are located. The outermost shell for chlorine is the 3rd shell.
Step 6: The principal quantum number (n) corresponds to the shell number. Since the outermost shell is the 3rd shell, n = 3.
