Table of contents

1. A Review of General Chemistry5h 5m
2. Molecular Representations1h 14m
3. Acids and Bases2h 46m
4. Alkanes and Cycloalkanes4h 17m
5. Chirality3h 39m
6. Thermodynamics and Kinetics1h 22m
7. Substitution Reactions1h 48m
8. Elimination Reactions2h 30m
9. Alkenes and Alkynes2h 9m
10. Addition Reactions3h 19m
11. Radical Reactions1h 58m
12. Alcohols, Ethers, Epoxides and Thiols2h 42m
13. Alcohols and Carbonyl Compounds2h 17m
14. Synthetic Techniques1h 26m
15. Analytical Techniques:IR, NMR, Mass Spect7h 3m
16. Conjugated Systems6h 13m
17. Ultraviolet Spectroscopy51m
18. Aromaticity2h 34m
19. Reactions of Aromatics: EAS and Beyond5h 1m
20. Phenols55m
21. Aldehydes and Ketones: Nucleophilic Addition4h 56m
22. Carboxylic Acid Derivatives: NAS2h 51m
23. The Chemistry of Thioesters, Phophate Ester and Phosphate Anhydrides1h 10m
24. Enolate Chemistry: Reactions at the Alpha-Carbon1h 53m
25. Condensation Chemistry2h 9m
26. Amines1h 43m
27. Heterocycles2h 0m
28. Carbohydrates5h 53m
29. Amino Acids4h 20m
30. Peptides and Proteins2h 42m
31. Catalysis in Organic Reactions1h 30m
32. Lipids 2h 50m
33. The Organic Chemistry of Metabolic Pathways2h 52m
34. Nucleic Acids1h 32m
35. Transition Metals6h 14m
36. Synthetic Polymers1h 49m

1. A Review of General Chemistry

Atomic Structure

Organic Chemistry

1. A Review of General Chemistry

Atomic Structure

Previous problemNext problem

2:24 minutes

Problem 12

Textbook Question

Would you expect electrons in the 2s or 3s orbital to be more reactive? Why?

Verified step by step guidance

Understand the concept of orbital reactivity: Reactivity of electrons in orbitals is influenced by their energy level and shielding effect. Electrons in higher energy orbitals are generally more reactive because they are farther from the nucleus and experience less nuclear attraction.

Compare the energy levels of 2s and 3s orbitals: The 3s orbital is in a higher principal energy level (n=3) compared to the 2s orbital (n=2). This means that electrons in the 3s orbital are farther from the nucleus and have higher energy.

Consider the shielding effect: Electrons in the 3s orbital experience greater shielding from inner electrons (those in the 1s, 2s, and 2p orbitals) compared to electrons in the 2s orbital. This reduces the effective nuclear charge felt by 3s electrons, making them less tightly bound to the nucleus.

Relate reactivity to binding strength: Since 3s electrons are less tightly bound to the nucleus due to their higher energy and greater shielding, they are more likely to participate in chemical reactions compared to 2s electrons.

Conclude the reasoning: Based on the higher energy and reduced nuclear attraction, electrons in the 3s orbital are expected to be more reactive than those in the 2s orbital.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above

Video duration:

Play a video:

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

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

Atomic Orbitals

Atomic orbitals are regions in an atom where there is a high probability of finding electrons. The 2s and 3s orbitals are both spherical in shape, but they differ in energy levels and distance from the nucleus. Electrons in higher energy orbitals, like 3s, are generally further from the nucleus and experience less effective nuclear charge, which can influence their reactivity.

Effective Nuclear Charge

Effective nuclear charge (Z_eff) refers to the net positive charge experienced by an electron in a multi-electron atom. It accounts for the shielding effect of inner electrons that reduce the full nuclear charge. Electrons in the 2s orbital experience a higher Z_eff compared to those in the 3s orbital, making them more tightly bound and less reactive.

Reactivity of Electrons

The reactivity of electrons is influenced by their energy levels and the stability of the orbitals they occupy. Electrons in higher energy orbitals, such as 3s, are generally more reactive because they are less tightly held by the nucleus and can participate more readily in chemical reactions. This increased reactivity is due to their ability to be involved in bond formation or breaking more easily than electrons in lower energy orbitals.

Watch next

Master The difference between atomic numbers and atomic mass. with a bite sized video explanation from Johnny

Start learning

Related Videos

Related Practice

Textbook Question

How many electrons does an atom of each of the following elements need to lose to achieve a noble gas configuration? By losing that many electrons, which noble gas configuration is achieved?

(a) Beryllium

Textbook Question

How many electrons does an atom of each of the following elements need to gain to achieve a noble gas configuration? By gaining that many electrons, which noble gas configuration is achieved?

(a) Oxygen

Textbook Question

How many electrons does an atom of each of the following elements need to gain to achieve a noble gas configuration? By gaining that many electrons, which noble gas configuration is achieved?

Textbook Question

A chemistry student drew the following incorrect electron configuration for carbon. (a) Correct the diagram.

Textbook Question

What is the ground state electron configuration of carbon? How many bonds does carbon usually form?

Textbook Question

In the periodic table, the number 79.904 appears under the element bromine. What is the significance of this number?

Textbook Question

Choose the larger atom in each pair.

(b) O or F

Textbook Question

Give the charge most likely to result from ionization of the following metals.

Show more practices