Below Is The Orbital Diagram For Arsenic (33As), Which Has A Ground Electron Configuration Of [Ar]4s2 3d10 4p3 .Give The Four Quantum Numbers For The Electron In The Red Box
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
To determine the four quantum numbers for the electron in the red box of the arsenic (As) orbital diagram, we first need to identify the specific electron’s position within the atom’s electron configuration. Arsenic has an atomic number of 33, indicating it possesses 33 electrons. Its ground-state electron configuration is [Ar] 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p³.
The notation [Ar] represents the electron configuration of argon, accounting for the first 18 electrons:
- 1s²
- 2s²
- 2p⁶
- 3s²
- 3p⁶
Beyond argon, the remaining 15 electrons are arranged as follows:
- 4s²: 2 electrons
- 3d¹⁰: 10 electrons
- 4p³: 3 electrons
In orbital diagrams, each box represents an orbital, and arrows within these boxes denote electrons with specific spins. The 4p subshell contains three orbitals (4pₓ, 4p_y, and 4p_z), each capable of holding two electrons. According to Hund’s rule, electrons occupy degenerate orbitals singly before pairing. Therefore, the three electrons in the 4p subshell will each occupy separate orbitals, all with parallel spins (typically represented as upward arrows).
Assuming the red box highlights the first electron in the 4pₓ orbital, we can assign its four quantum numbers as follows:
- Principal Quantum Number (n): Indicates the electron’s energy level. For the 4p subshell, n = 4.
- Azimuthal Quantum Number (l): Defines the subshell and the shape of the orbital. For p orbitals, l = 1.
- Magnetic Quantum Number (mₗ): Specifies the specific orbital within the subshell. The possible values for mₗ range from -l to +l. For p orbitals (l = 1), mₗ can be -1, 0, or +1. Assigning mₗ = -1 to the 4pₓ orbital is a common convention.
- Spin Quantum Number (mₛ): Denotes the electron’s spin direction. Since the electron is unpaired and typically assigned an upward spin in this context, mₛ = +½.
In summary, the four quantum numbers for the electron in the red box are:
- n = 4
- l = 1
- mₗ = -1
- mₛ = +½
These quantum numbers uniquely describe the specified electron’s position and properties within the arsenic atom.