Which of the following has the highest energy electron configuration?
Correct Answer: Chlorine (Cl)
- Step 1: Understand what an electron configuration is. It shows how electrons are arranged in an atom.
- Step 2: Look at the given electron configuration: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p5.
- Step 3: Identify the highest energy level in the configuration. The highest energy level is the one with the highest principal quantum number (n).
- Step 4: In the configuration, the highest principal quantum number is 3 (from 3s and 3p).
- Step 5: Check for unpaired electrons. Unpaired electrons have higher energy than paired ones.
- Step 6: In the configuration 3s2 3p5, the 3p subshell has 5 electrons, meaning there are unpaired electrons.
- Step 7: Conclude that the presence of unpaired electrons in the highest energy level (3) gives this configuration the highest energy.
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