Questions: Question 37 of 44 How many unpaired electrons are found in a ground state atom of Fe ?

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 ?
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Solution

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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: \[ \boxed{4} \]

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