Consider the molecule BF₃. (a) What is the electron configuration of an isolated B atom? (b) What is the electron configuration of an isolated F atom?

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1. To find the electron configuration of an isolated B atom, first identify its atomic number, which is 5. This means a neutral boron atom has 5 electrons.
2. Write the electron configuration for boron by filling the orbitals in order of increasing energy: 1s, 2s, and 2p. The electron configuration for boron is 1s² 2s² 2p¹.
3. Next, consider the isolated F atom. Fluorine has an atomic number of 9, indicating it has 9 electrons.
4. Write the electron configuration for fluorine by filling the orbitals in order of increasing energy: 1s, 2s, and 2p. The electron configuration for fluorine is 1s² 2s² 2p⁵.
5. Both electron configurations can be verified by ensuring the total number of electrons matches the atomic number of the element, and that the electrons are distributed according to the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle.