Questions: Question 37 of 44
How many unpaired electrons are found in a ground state atom of Fe ?
Transcript text: Question 37 of 44
How many unpaired electrons are found in a ground state atom of Fe ?
Solution
Solution Steps
Step 1: Determine the Atomic Number and Electron Configuration of Fe
Iron (Fe) has an atomic number of 26, which means it has 26 electrons in its ground state. The electron configuration of Fe can be written as:
\[ \text{Fe}: 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^6 \]
Step 2: Identify the Relevant Subshells for Unpaired Electrons
The electrons in the 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, and 3p subshells are all paired. The relevant subshells for determining unpaired electrons are the 4s and 3d subshells.
Step 3: Analyze the 4s and 3d Subshells
The 4s subshell has 2 electrons, which are paired. The 3d subshell has 6 electrons. According to Hund's rule, electrons will fill each degenerate orbital singly before pairing up. Therefore, the 3d subshell will have 4 unpaired electrons and 1 paired electron.
Final Answer
The number of unpaired electrons in a ground state atom of Fe is:
\[
\boxed{4}
\]