The orbital diagram that follows shows the valence electrons for a 2+ ion of an element. (a) What is the element?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the number of valence electrons in the 2+ ion from the orbital diagram.
2. Determine the number of electrons that were removed to form the 2+ ion.
3. Add the removed electrons back to the 2+ ion to find the total number of electrons in the neutral atom.
4. Use the total number of electrons to identify the element by its atomic number on the periodic table.
5. Verify the electron configuration of the neutral atom to ensure it matches the element identified.

Key Concepts

Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom and are crucial in determining how an element reacts chemically. They are involved in forming bonds with other atoms and are typically represented in an orbital diagram. For transition metals, the valence electrons can include those in both the outermost shell and the d subshell.

Ion Formation

Ions are charged particles that form when atoms gain or lose electrons. A 2+ ion indicates that the element has lost two electrons, which affects its electron configuration and can help identify the element. Understanding how ions form is essential for predicting the behavior of elements in chemical reactions.

Orbital Diagrams

Orbital diagrams visually represent the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals. Each box in the diagram corresponds to an orbital, and arrows indicate the presence of electrons. Analyzing these diagrams helps in understanding the electron configuration of ions and can be used to deduce the identity of the element based on its valence electron arrangement.