(d) If you remove a single electron from a P atom, which orbital will it come from?

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Identify the electron configuration of a neutral phosphorus (P) atom. Phosphorus has an atomic number of 15, which means it has 15 electrons in its neutral state.

Write out the electron configuration using the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle. The electron configuration of phosphorus is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³.

Determine which electrons are the most loosely held. Electrons in the highest energy level (highest principal quantum number, n) are generally the most loosely held.

Identify the outermost electrons in phosphorus. In this case, the electrons in the 3p orbital are the outermost.

Conclude that if a single electron is removed from a phosphorus atom, it will come from the 3p orbital, as these are the highest energy electrons and most accessible for removal.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Electron Configuration

Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals. For a phosphorus (P) atom, which has 15 electrons, the electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³. Understanding this configuration is essential to determine which orbital an electron will be removed from when an atom is ionized.

Orbitals and Energy Levels

Orbitals are regions in an atom where there is a high probability of finding electrons. They are organized into energy levels, with s, p, d, and f types having different shapes and capacities. In phosphorus, the outermost electrons are in the 3s and 3p orbitals, which are higher in energy compared to the filled inner orbitals.

Ionization Energy

Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom in its gaseous state. The first ionization energy for phosphorus is relatively low compared to noble gases, indicating that the outermost electrons (in the 3s and 3p orbitals) are more easily removed. This concept helps predict which orbital an electron will be removed from during ionization.

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Ionization Energy

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Textbook Question

(a) If the core electrons were totally effective at screening the valence electrons and the valence electrons provided no screening for each other, what would be the effective nuclear charge acting on the 3s and 3p valence electrons in P?

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Textbook Question

(b) Repeat these calculations using Slater’s rules.

Textbook Question

(c) Detailed calculations indicate that the effective nuclear charge is 5.6+ for the 3s electrons and 4.9+ for the 3p electrons. Why are the values for the 3s and 3p electrons different?

Textbook Question

In Table 7.8, the bonding atomic radius of neon is listed as58 pm, whereas that for xenon is listed as 140 pm. A classmateof yours states that the value for Xe is more realisticthan the one for Ne. Is she correct? If so, what is the basisfor her statement?

Textbook Question

The As ¬ As bond length in elemental arsenic is 2.48 Å. The Cl ¬ Cl bond length in Cl2 is 1.99 Å. (a) Based on these data, what is the predicted As ¬ Cl bond length in arsenic trichlo- ride, AsCl₃, in which each of the three Cl atoms is bonded to the As atom?