What atom has the following orbital-filling diagram?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the core electrons represented by [Ne], which stands for the electron configuration of Neon (1s^2 2s^2 2p^6).
2. Observe the electrons in the 3s orbital, which are represented by two arrows (one up and one down), indicating a filled 3s orbital (3s^2).
3. Notice the single electron in the 3p orbital, represented by one arrow pointing up, indicating a partially filled 3p orbital (3p^1).
4. Combine the core electrons and the valence electrons to write the full electron configuration: [Ne] 3s^2 3p^1.
5. Determine the element by counting the total number of electrons: Neon has 10 electrons, plus the 3 electrons in the 3s and 3p orbitals, giving a total of 13 electrons. The element with 13 electrons is Aluminum (Al).

Key Concepts

Orbital Filling Diagram

An orbital filling diagram visually represents the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals. Each box corresponds to an orbital, and arrows indicate the presence of electrons, with their direction representing spin. The diagram follows the Aufbau principle, which states that electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first, and adheres to Hund's rule, which emphasizes that electrons will occupy degenerate orbitals singly before pairing up.

Electron Configuration

Electron configuration describes the arrangement of electrons in an atom's orbitals, typically expressed using a notation that includes the principal quantum number and the type of orbital (s, p, d, f). In the given diagram, the notation [Ne] indicates that the electron configuration starts from the noble gas neon, followed by the filling of the 3s and 3p orbitals. This configuration helps identify the chemical properties and reactivity of the element.

Noble Gas Core

A noble gas core refers to the use of a noble gas's electron configuration to simplify the representation of an atom's electron arrangement. In this case, [Ne] signifies that the atom has the same electron configuration as neon, which has a complete outer shell. This notation is useful for quickly identifying the valence electrons and understanding the atom's stability and reactivity, as elements tend to react to achieve a full outer shell.