State the Aufbau principle and explain the role it plays in classifying the elements in the periodic table.

Short Answer

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The Aufbau principle is a rule in chemistry that states that electrons orbiting one or more atoms fill the lowest available energy levels before filling higher ones. It's pivotal for the organization of the periodic table as it helps predict the electron configuration of an element, thus determining its position in the table. The layout of the periodic table is based on this principle, with each element placed in a specific group and period. The principle also explains the chemical behavior of an element based on its position, as elements in the same group tend to share similar properties.

Step by step solution

01

Define the Aufbau Principle

The Aufbau Principle is a rule used in chemistry which dictates that electrons orbiting one or more atoms fill the lowest available energy levels before filling higher levels. In other words, electrons prefer to occupy the lowest energy level available. This principle comes from the German word 'Aufbau' which means 'building up.'
02

Explain the Role in the Periodic Table

The Aufbau principle is crucial in organizing and understanding the arrangement of electrons among elements in the periodic table. It helps to predict the electron configuration of an element, thus determining its position in the periodic table. The principle postulates that the arrangement of electrons in an atom is determined by adding electrons to an empty atom in a specific sequence of atomic orbitals.
03

Discuss the Structure of the Periodic Table

Based on the Aufbau principle, the periodic table is laid out in increasing atomic number, with each element placed in a specific group (column) and period (row). The Aufbau principle also helps to explain the chemical behavior of an element based on its position in the periodic table, as elements in the same group tend to exhibit similar properties due to the identical number of electrons in the outermost shell.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The atomic number of an element is 73 . Is this element diamagnetic or paramagnetic?

Which of the following species has the most unpaired electrons: \(\mathrm{S}^{+}, \mathrm{S},\) or \(\mathrm{S}^{-} ?\) Explain how you arrive at your answer.

(a) An electron in the ground state of the hydrogen atom moves at an average speed of \(5 \times 10^{6} \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s} .\) If the speed is known to an uncertainty of 1 percent, what is the uncertainty in knowing its position? Given that the radius of the hydrogen atom in the ground state is \(5.29 \times 10^{-11} \mathrm{~m},\) comment on your result. The mass of an electron is \(9.1094 \times 10^{-31} \mathrm{~kg}\) (b) A 3.2-g Ping-Pong ball moving at 50 mph has a momentum of \(0.073 \mathrm{~kg} \cdot \mathrm{m} / \mathrm{s} .\) If the uncertainty in measuring the momentum is \(1.0 \times 10^{-7}\) of the momentum, calculate the uncertainty in the Ping-Pong ball's position.

The UV light that is responsible for tanning the skin falls in the 320 - to 400 -nm region. Calculate the total energy (in joules) absorbed by a person exposed to this radiation for \(2.0 \mathrm{~h}\), given that there are \(2.0 \times 10^{16}\) photons hitting Earth's surface per square centimeter per second over a 80-nm (320 nm to \(400 \mathrm{nm}\) ) range and that the exposed body area is \(0.45 \mathrm{~m}^{2}\). Assume that only half of the radiation is absorbed and the other half is reflected by the body. (Hint: Use an average wavelength of \(360 \mathrm{nm}\) in calculating the energy of a photon.

A laser is used in treating retina detachment. The wavelength of the laser beam is \(514 \mathrm{nm}\) and the power is \(1.6 \mathrm{~W}\). If the laser is turned on for \(0.060 \mathrm{~s}\) during surgery, calculate the number of photons emitted by the laser. \((1 \mathrm{~W}=1 \mathrm{~J} / \mathrm{s})\)

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