how many unpaired electrons are in this configuration 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3

there are 0

Ejehhhei

Well, let me check my electron calculator... *beep boop beep* Ah, it seems like you have 3 unpaired electrons in your configuration. Don't worry, they're just looking for their electron buddies to pair up with and create some chemistry magic!

To determine the number of unpaired electrons in an electron configuration, we need to understand the filling order of orbitals and Hund's rule.

The electron configuration 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3 represents the electron arrangement of an element up to atomic number 15, which is phosphorus (P).

Step 1: Determine the maximum number of electrons the given energy level or subshell can hold.
The s subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, while the p subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons.

Step 2: Fill the orbitals using the Aufbau principle.
The Aufbau principle states that electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first before occupying higher energy orbitals.

In this case, we have:
1s2 (filled)
2s2 (filled)
2p6 (filled)
3s2 (filled)
3p3 (partially filled)

Step 3: Apply Hund's rule to determine the number of unpaired electrons.
Hund's rule states that when we have degenerate orbitals (orbitals with the same energy), electrons occupy these orbitals singly with the same spin before they start pairing up.

We have three electrons in the 3p subshell, which consists of three degenerate orbitals (3px, 3py, 3pz). According to Hund's rule, each orbital will be singly occupied first before pairing up.

Thus, there are three unpaired electrons present in the electron configuration 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3.

To determine the number of unpaired electrons in a given electron configuration, you need to first determine the total number of electrons filled in the configuration, and then identify the subshells that have unpaired electrons.

The given electron configuration is:
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3

To find the total number of electrons, you add up the superscripts of each subshell:
2 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 3 = 15

Now, let's determine which subshells have unpaired electrons. In the 3p subshell, there are 3 electrons (3p3). Recall that each p orbital can accommodate a maximum of 2 electrons. Therefore, in this case, there is an unpaired electron, as the last p orbital (3p3) has only one electron.

Hence, the given electron configuration has one unpaired electron.