There are __________ unpaired electrons in a ground state phosphorus atom.
a) 0
b) 1
c) 2
d) 3
e) 4
b) 1
To determine the number of unpaired electrons in a ground state phosphorus atom, we need to first understand the electronic configuration of phosphorus.
Phosphorus has an atomic number of 15, which means it has 15 electrons. The electronic configuration of phosphorus is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³.
To find the number of unpaired electrons, we look at the last principal quantum number (n) that contains electrons. In this case, it is n = 3.
The subshell with the highest energy in the n = 3 shell is the 3p subshell. According to the Aufbau principle, the 3p subshell can accommodate a maximum of 6 electrons (2 electrons in the 3px orbital, 2 electrons in the 3py orbital, and 2 electrons in the 3pz orbital).
In the case of phosphorus, we have 3 electrons in the 3p subshell (1 electron each in the 3px, 3py, and 3pz orbitals). Since there are 3 unpaired electrons, the correct answer is option (d) 3.
To determine the number of unpaired electrons in a ground state phosphorus atom, we need to look at its electron configuration.
The electron configuration of phosphorus is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³.
From the electron configuration, we can see that there are a total of 15 electrons in a phosphorus atom.
To determine the number of unpaired electrons, we need to look at the last electron shell, which is the 3rd shell or the 3p subshell.
In the 3p subshell, there are 3 electrons (represented by the 3p³).
Since there are 3 electrons in the 3p subshell and they are not paired with another electron, there are 3 unpaired electrons in a ground state phosphorus atom.
Therefore, the correct answer is d) 3.