Question
Potassium is a highly reactive metal while argon is an inert gas. Explain this difference based on their electron configurations.
Step 1
Potassium (K) has an atomic number of 19, which means it has 19 electrons. Its electron configuration is 1sĀ² 2sĀ² 2pā¶ 3sĀ² 3pā¶ 4sĀ¹. This means that potassium has one electron in its outermost shell (the 4s orbital). Show more…
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