Multiple Choice
How many d electrons are present in the tungsten (W) atom in the WO₄²⁻ ion?
24. Transition Metals and Coordination Compounds
Electron Configurations of Transition Metals
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Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Write the ground-state electron configuration for vanadium.
A
[Ar]3s23d3
B
[Ar]4s23d3
C
[Ar]4s24d3
D
[Ar]4s13d4
E
[Kr]5s24d3
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the atomic number of vanadium, which is 23. This tells us the number of electrons in a neutral atom of vanadium.
Recall the order of filling electron orbitals according to the Aufbau principle, which is based on increasing energy levels: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, etc.
Start by filling the electron orbitals from the lowest energy level up to the number of electrons in vanadium. Begin with the configuration of argon, [Ar], which accounts for the first 18 electrons.
After [Ar], fill the 4s orbital with 2 electrons, as it is lower in energy than the 3d orbital. This brings the total to 20 electrons.
Finally, place the remaining 3 electrons in the 3d orbital, completing the electron configuration for vanadium as [Ar]4s^2 3d^3.
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