To determine the electron configuration for zinc, we need to refer to its atomic number, which is 30. The atomic number represents the number of protons, and for a neutral atom, it is also the number of electrons. We will fill the electron orbitals in accordance with the Aufbau principle, which states that electrons occupy the lowest energy orbitals first.
We start filling the orbitals in order of increasing energy:
1. 1s orbital:
- Can hold 2 electrons
- Electron configuration: [tex]\(1s^2\)[/tex]
2. 2s orbital:
- Can hold 2 electrons
- Electron configuration: [tex]\(2s^2\)[/tex]
3. 2p orbital:
- Can hold 6 electrons
- Electron configuration: [tex]\(2p^6\)[/tex]
4. 3s orbital:
- Can hold 2 electrons
- Electron configuration: [tex]\(3s^2\)[/tex]
5. 3p orbital:
- Can hold 6 electrons
- Electron configuration: [tex]\(3p^6\)[/tex]
6. 4s orbital:
- Can hold 2 electrons
- Electron configuration: [tex]\(4s^2\)[/tex]
7. 3d orbital:
- Can hold 10 electrons
- Electron configuration: [tex]\(3d^{10}\)[/tex]
Adding up these electrons, we have:
- [tex]\(2 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 10 = 30\)[/tex] electrons
The correct electron configuration for zinc (atomic number 30) is:
[tex]\[ 1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^6 \, 3s^2 \, 3p^6 \, 4s^2 \, 3d^{10} \][/tex]
Therefore, the correct electron configuration from the provided options is:
[tex]\[ 1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^6 \, 3s^2 \, 3p^6 \, 4s^2 \, 3d^{10} \][/tex]
This matches option:
[tex]\[ 1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^6 \, 3s^2 \, 3p^6 \, 4s^2 \, 3d^{10} \][/tex]
