Question

what atom matches this electron configuration? 1s²2s²2p⁶3s² potassium magnesium aluminum neon

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate the total number of electrons

The electron configuration is \(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}\).
The number of electrons in \(1s^{2}\) is \(2\), in \(2s^{2}\) is \(2\), in \(2p^{6}\) is \(6\), and in \(3s^{2}\) is \(2\).
The total number of electrons \(N = 2+2 + 6+2=12\).

Step2: Determine the element based on atomic number

The atomic number \(Z\) of an element is equal to the number of electrons in a neutral atom.
Since \(Z = 12\), looking at the periodic table, the element with atomic number \(12\) is Magnesium (\(Mg\)).

Answer:

Magnesium