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Ch.6 - Electronic Structure of Atoms
Chapter 6, Problem 79b

The following do not represent valid ground-state electron configurations for an atom either because they violate the Pauli exclusion principle or because orbitals are not filled in order of increasing energy. Indicate which of these two principles is violated in each example. (b) 3Xe46s3

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Key Concepts

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

Pauli Exclusion Principle

The Pauli Exclusion Principle states that no two electrons in an atom can have the same set of four quantum numbers. This means that each electron must occupy a unique state within an atom, which prevents any two electrons from being in the same orbital with the same spin. Violating this principle results in an invalid electron configuration.
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Aufbau Principle

The Aufbau Principle describes the order in which electrons fill atomic orbitals. According to this principle, electrons occupy the lowest energy orbitals first before moving to higher energy levels. If an electron configuration shows orbitals filled out of this order, it violates the Aufbau Principle, leading to an incorrect representation of the atom's electron structure.
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Electron Configuration Notation

Electron configuration notation is a way to represent the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals. It uses a series of numbers and letters to indicate the energy levels and types of orbitals occupied by electrons. Understanding this notation is crucial for identifying whether a given configuration adheres to the established principles of quantum mechanics, such as the Pauli Exclusion Principle and the Aufbau Principle.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Identify the specific element that corresponds to each of the following electron configurations and indicate the number of unpaired electrons for each: (c) 3Ar44s13d5

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Textbook Question

Identify the specific element that corresponds to each of the following electron configurations and indicate the number of unpaired electrons for each: (d) 3Kr45s24d105p4.

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Textbook Question

(a) What does the term paramagnetism mean? (b) How can one determine experimentally whether a substance is paramagnetic? (c) Which of the following ions would you expect to be paramagnetic: O2+ , N22 -, Li2+ , O22 - ? For those ions that are paramagnetic, determine the number of unpaired electrons.

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Textbook Question

The following electron configurations represent excited states. Identify the element and write its ground-state condensed electron configuration. (b) 3Ne43s13p44p1.

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Textbook Question

If a sample of calcium chloride is introduced into a nonluminous flame, the color of the flame turns to orange ('flame test'). The light is emitted because calcium atoms become excited; their return to the ground state results in light emission. (b) What is the energy of 1.00 mol of these photons (a mole of photons is called an Einstein)?

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Textbook Question

Certain elements emit light of a specific wavelength when they are burned or heated in a non-luminous flame. Historically, chemists used such emission wavelengths to determine whether specific elements were present in a sample. Some characteristic wavelengths for a few of the elements are given in the following table: Ag 328.1 nm Fe 372.0 nm Au 267.6 nm K 404.7 nm Ba 455.4 nm Mg 285.2 nm Ca 422.7 nm Na 589.6 nm Cu 324.8 nm Ni 341.5 nm (c) When burned, a sample of an unknown substance is found to emit light of frequency 6.58 * 1014 s-1. Which of these elements is probably in the sample?

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