Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 8: Problem 13

Write the outer electron configurations for the (a) alkali metals, (b) alkaline earth metals, (c) halogens, (d) noble gases.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Outer electron configurations: (a) Alkali metals: \(ns^1\), (b) Alkaline earth metals: \(ns^2\), (c) Halogens: \(ns^2np^5\), (d) Noble gases: \(ns^2np^6\) for all but helium, which has \(1s^2\).

Step by step solution

01

Identify Alkali Metals

Alkali metals are the elements in Group 1 of the periodic table (not including Hydrogen). They have one electron in their outermost energy level. Therefore, the general outer electron configuration for alkali metals is \(ns^1\), where n is the period number.
02

Identify Alkaline Earth Metals

Alkaline earth metals are the elements in Group 2 of the periodic table. They have two electrons in their outermost energy level. Therefore, the general outer electron configuration for alkaline earth metals is \(ns^2\), where n is the period number.
03

Identify Halogens

Halogens are the elements in Group 17 of the periodic table. They have seven electrons in their outermost energy level. Therefore, the general outer electron configuration for halogens is \(ns^2np^5\), where n is the period number.
04

Identify Noble Gases

Noble gases are the elements in Group 18 of the periodic table. They have full outermost energy levels, meaning they have eight electrons except for helium, which has two. Therefore, the general outer electron configuration for noble gases is \(ns^2np^6\), where n is the period number. Note: The first noble gas helium has the electron configuration \(1s^2\).

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Why do elements that have high ionization energies also have more positive electron affinities? Which group of elements would be an exception to this generalization?

Write chemical formulas for oxides of nitrogen with the following oxidation numbers: \(+1,+2,+3,+4,\) +5. (Hint: There are two oxides of nitrogen with +4 oxidation number.)

In which of the following are the species written in decreasing order by size of radius? (a) Be, Mg, Ba; (b) \(\mathrm{N}^{3-}, \mathrm{O}^{2-}, \mathrm{F}^{-} ;(\mathrm{c}) \mathrm{Tl}^{3+}, \mathrm{Tl}^{2+}, \mathrm{Tl}^{+}\)

Consider the first 18 elements from hydrogen to argon. Would you expect the atoms of half of them to be diamagnetic and half of them to be paramagnetic? Explain.

Write the formulas and names of the hydrides of the following second-period elements: \(\mathrm{Li}, \mathrm{C}, \mathrm{N}, \mathrm{O}, \mathrm{F}\) Predict their reactions with water.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Read Explanation

Chemical Analysis

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Kinetics

Read Explanation

Organic Chemistry

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free