Question
How many electrons are in the outermost energy level of a neutral phosphorus atom
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
A neutral phosphorus atom has an atomic number of 15, meaning it has 15 electrons. The electron configuration of phosphorus is \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^3\).
The outermost energy level for phosphorus is the third energy level (n=3), which contains the 3s and 3p subshells. The 3s subshell holds 2 electrons, and the 3p subshell holds 3 electrons.
Therefore, the total number of electrons in the outermost energy level of a neutral phosphorus atom is:
\[
2 \, (\text{from } 3s) + 3 \, (\text{from } 3p) = 5
\]
So, there are 5 electrons in the outermost energy level of a neutral phosphorus atom.
The outermost energy level for phosphorus is the third energy level (n=3), which contains the 3s and 3p subshells. The 3s subshell holds 2 electrons, and the 3p subshell holds 3 electrons.
Therefore, the total number of electrons in the outermost energy level of a neutral phosphorus atom is:
\[
2 \, (\text{from } 3s) + 3 \, (\text{from } 3p) = 5
\]
So, there are 5 electrons in the outermost energy level of a neutral phosphorus atom.