Describe how to write an electron configuration for a...

Name: Problem 31, Chapter 8: Chemistry A Molecular Approach
Uploaded: 2020-03-17T01:40:47-08:00
Duration: 1 min 4 s
Channel: Anna Miller
Description: Describe how to write an electron configuration for a transition metal cation. Is the order of electron removal upon ionization simply the reverse of electron addition upon filling? Why or why not?

Describe how to write an electron configuration for a transition metal cation. Is the order of electron removal upon ionization simply the reverse of electron addition upon filling? Why or why not?

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Key Concepts

Transition Metal Electron Configuration

Transition metals display unique electron configurations involving both 4s and 3d orbitals. Although 4s orbitals are filled before 3d orbitals in the neutral atoms due to their lower energy according to the Aufbau principle, the energy landscape changes upon ionization, influencing which electrons are preferentially removed.

Orbital Energy Ordering Upon Ionization

Upon ionization, the electrons are removed from the orbital with the highest energy. In transition metals, even though the 4s orbital is filled first, it becomes higher in energy relative to the 3d orbitals when the atom is ionized. This means that during the formation of transition metal cations, electrons are typically removed from the 4s orbital rather than in the reverse order of filling, reflecting the dynamic nature of orbital energies under different electron-electron interactions and effective nuclear charge.

Aufbau Principle

The Aufbau principle guides the order in which electrons fill orbitals in a neutral atom, with electrons occupying the lowest-energy orbitals available first. This principle is a cornerstone in understanding electron configurations, but it primarily applies to electron addition in forming neutral atoms rather than electron removal during ionization.

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