Question

which is the electronic configuration for oxygen?
1s² 2s² 2p¹
1s² 2s² 2p³
1s² 2s² 2p⁴
1s² 2s² 2p⁶

Explanation:

Oxygen has an atomic number of 8, which means it has 8 electrons. The electron - filling order is \(1s\) (holds 2 electrons), then \(2s\) (holds 2 electrons), and then \(2p\) (holds up to 6 electrons). After filling \(1s^{2}\) and \(2s^{2}\), there are \(8-(2 + 2)=4\) electrons left to fill the \(2p\) orbital.

Answer:

\(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{4}\) (the third option)