Question

what atom matches this electron configuration? 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶4s²3d¹⁰ zinc germanium copper nickel

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate the total number of electrons

$$1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{6}4s^{2}3d^{10}$$
The sum of the exponents is \(2 + 2+6 + 2+6 + 2+10=28\).

Step2: Determine the element based on atomic number

The atomic number of an element is equal to the number of electrons in a neutral atom. Zinc (\(Zn\)) has an atomic number of \(30\) (\(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{6}4s^{2}3d^{10}\)), Germanium (\(Ge\)) has an atomic number of \(32\) (\(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{6}4s^{2}3d^{10}4p^{2}\)), Copper (\(Cu\)) has an atomic number of \(29\) (\(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{6}4s^{1}3d^{10}\)), Nickel (\(Ni\)) has an atomic number of \(28\) (\(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{6}4s^{2}3d^{8}\)).

Answer:

A. Zinc