To determine the correct electron configuration for silicon (Si) with an atomic number of 14, we need to follow the Aufbau principle, which states that electrons are added to the lowest energy orbitals first before moving to higher energy orbitals. As we add electrons, we are essentially filling up the energy levels in the order specified by their increasing energy. Here is the step-by-step process for Si:
1. Determine the total number of electrons: The atomic number of silicon is 14, which means it has 14 electrons.
2. Fill the orbitals in order of increasing energy:
- The first two electrons will go into the 1s orbital:
- [tex]\(1s^2\)[/tex] (holds 2 electrons)
- The next two electrons will fill the 2s orbital:
- [tex]\(2s^2\)[/tex] (holds 2 electrons)
- The next six electrons will fill the 2p orbital:
- [tex]\(2p^6\)[/tex] (holds 6 electrons)
- The next two electrons will go into the 3s orbital:
- [tex]\(3s^2\)[/tex] (holds 2 electrons)
- The final two electrons will go into the 3p orbital:
- [tex]\(3p^2\)[/tex] (holds 2 electrons)
Combining all these, the electron configuration for silicon is:
[tex]\[ 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^2 \][/tex]
Hence, the correct answer is:
A. [tex]\( 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^2 \)[/tex]
