Question

what is the ground state electron configuration for the te atom (z = 52)?
kr6s²5d¹⁰6p⁴
kr5s²5p⁶6s²6p⁶
kr5s²5f¹⁴5d¹⁰5p⁴
kr5s²4d¹⁰5p⁴
kr5s²5d¹⁰5p⁴

Explanation:

Step1: Find the noble gas core

Krypton (Kr) has an atomic number of 36. So we use \([Kr]\) as the noble - gas core.

Step2: Determine the remaining electrons

The atomic number of Te is \(Z = 52\). The number of remaining electrons is \(52-36=16\).

Step3: Fill the orbitals

• The \(5s\) orbital can hold 2 electrons: \(5s^{2}\)
• The \(4d\) orbital (since after \(4p\) comes \(5s\) and then \(4d\) according to the Aufbau principle) can hold 10 electrons: \(4d^{10}\)
• The remaining \(16-(2 + 10)=4\) electrons go into the \(5p\) orbital: \(5p^{4}\)

Answer:

\([Kr]5s^{2}4d^{10}5p^{4}\) (the fourth option)