Questions: Here is the ground-state electron configuration of a neutral atom of an unknown Element E. Use this diagram to answer the questions below. What is Element E ? Write its chemical symbol. How many unpaired electron spins are there in this atom?

Solution Steps

To determine the element and the number of unpaired electrons, we need the electron configuration. However, since the configuration is not provided, let's assume a typical configuration format, such as:

\[ 1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^6 \, 3s^2 \, 3p^x \]

Assuming the configuration ends with \(3p^x\), the element can be identified by counting the total number of electrons. For example, if \(x = 5\), the configuration would be:

\[ 1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^6 \, 3s^2 \, 3p^5 \]

This totals 17 electrons, which corresponds to chlorine (Cl).

In the \(3p^5\) configuration, there are three \(p\) orbitals. The electron filling would be:

• One electron in each of the three orbitals (3 electrons)
• Two electrons paired in one orbital (2 electrons)

This results in one unpaired electron.

Final Answer