(b) When xenon absorbs 801 kJ/mol of energy, it is excited into a higher-energy state in which the outermost elec-tron has been promoted to the next available subshell. Write the electron configuration for this excited xenon.

Video transcript

Hey everyone, we're told when an adam absorbs a sufficient amount of energy, it is excited to a higher energy state and a valence electron temporarily occupies a higher sub shell provide the electron configuration of an excited argon. When its outermost electron is promoted to the next available sub shell. First, let's go ahead and look at our periodic table and find where argon is located. Looking at our periodic table, we can see that organs atomic number is 18. So at its neutral state It has electrons. So let's go ahead and figure out the electron configuration at organs ground state. So we're going to figure this out by using our atomic number. So first we have our one S orbital, so we have one as two, followed by two S two, followed by two P six, followed by three S. Two. And lastly by three P six. So as we can see through our electron configuration, we accounted for all 18 electrons. Now, since our question stem told us that we have to look at the next available sub shell, this means that it is going to be for us. So we're going one electron from three P to four S. So at our excited state our electron configuration is going to be one S 22 S. 22 P 63 S, 23 P 54 S. One. Since we had that one electron from our three P. Go to our four S. Which was our next available sub shell. And this is going to be our final answer. Now I hope that made sense. And let us know if you have any questions.