Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Electron Shells
Electron shells are the regions around an atom's nucleus where electrons are likely to be found. The first shell can hold up to 2 electrons, the second shell can hold up to 8 electrons, and subsequent shells can hold more. Understanding how many electrons fit in these shells is crucial for determining the electron configuration of an atom.
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Subshells
Subshells are subdivisions of electron shells that contain orbitals where electrons reside. The 's' subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, while 'p', 'd', and 'f' subshells can hold more. The 3s subshell is the first subshell in the third shell, and knowing its capacity helps in identifying the total number of electrons in an atom.
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Element Identification
Element identification involves determining the specific element based on its electron configuration. Each element has a unique number of electrons, which corresponds to its atomic number. By calculating the total number of electrons from filled shells and subshells, one can identify the element on the periodic table.
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