To determine the correct electron configuration of nitrogen (N), we need to know its atomic number, which is 7. This tells us the number of electrons in a neutral nitrogen atom. The arrangement of these electrons into various energy levels, subshells, and orbitals is described by the electron configuration.
Let's outline the steps:
1. Determine the total number of electrons: For nitrogen, that number is 7.
2. Follow the Aufbau principle: This principle states that electrons occupy the lowest energy orbitals first. The order of filling is generally as follows:
- 1s
- 2s
- 2p
- 3s
- 3p
- and so on.
3. Place electrons into the orbitals:
- The 1s orbital can hold up to 2 electrons.
- The 2s orbital can also hold up to 2 electrons.
- The 2p orbital can hold up to 6 electrons, but since nitrogen has only 7 electrons, the remaining electrons will go here after filling the 1s and 2s orbitals.
Let's allocate these electrons step by step:
1. 1s orbital: This will hold 2 electrons. So, we write [tex]\(1s^2\)[/tex].
2. 2s orbital: Next, we place 2 electrons here. So, we write [tex]\(2s^2\)[/tex].
3. 2p orbital: Finally, we need to place the remaining 3 electrons in the 2p orbital. So, we write [tex]\(2p^3\)[/tex].
Putting this all together, the electron configuration for nitrogen (N) is [tex]\(1s^2 2s^2 2p^3\)[/tex].
Thus, the correct electron configuration of nitrogen is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{1s^2 2s^2 2p^3} \][/tex]
