Question
write condensed electron configuration and partial diagram for Fe^2+ and explain why?
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
To write the condensed electron configuration and provide a partial diagram for the Fe²⁺ ion, we first need to understand the electron configuration of a neutral iron atom (Fe).
### Step 1: Neutral Iron (Fe)
Iron (atomic number 26) has the following electron configuration:
**Condensed electron configuration for Fe:**
\[ \text{[Ar]} \, 4s^2 \, 3d^6 \]
### Step 2: Iron Ion (Fe²⁺)
To form the Fe²⁺ ion, iron loses two electrons. When transitioning from neutral Fe to Fe²⁺, we first remove the two electrons from the 4s subshell, since 4s electrons are higher in energy than the 3d electrons after the 3d subshell is partially filled.
**Condensed electron configuration for Fe²⁺:**
\[ \text{[Ar]} \, 3d^6 \]
### Step 3: Partial Electron Configuration Diagram
To visualize this, you can represent the electron configurations as follows:
```
1s ↑↓
2s ↑↓
2p ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑↓
3s ↑↓
3p ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑↓
4s (empty)
3d ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑ ↑
```
### Explanation
- **Why the 4s electrons are lost first:**
- When atoms lose electrons to form positive ions, they tend to lose the electrons that are in the highest energy level or the outermost shell first. For transition metals like iron, although the 4s subshell is filled before the 3d subshell when these electrons are added during the filling process, they are higher in energy once the 3d subshell begins to fill. This is exactly what happens in the case of Fe when it ionizes to form Fe²⁺.
In summary, the condensed electron configuration for Fe²⁺ is \(\text{[Ar]} \, 3d^6\), as it reflects the loss of the two 4s electrons from the neutral iron configuration.
### Step 1: Neutral Iron (Fe)
Iron (atomic number 26) has the following electron configuration:
**Condensed electron configuration for Fe:**
\[ \text{[Ar]} \, 4s^2 \, 3d^6 \]
### Step 2: Iron Ion (Fe²⁺)
To form the Fe²⁺ ion, iron loses two electrons. When transitioning from neutral Fe to Fe²⁺, we first remove the two electrons from the 4s subshell, since 4s electrons are higher in energy than the 3d electrons after the 3d subshell is partially filled.
**Condensed electron configuration for Fe²⁺:**
\[ \text{[Ar]} \, 3d^6 \]
### Step 3: Partial Electron Configuration Diagram
To visualize this, you can represent the electron configurations as follows:
```
1s ↑↓
2s ↑↓
2p ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑↓
3s ↑↓
3p ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑↓
4s (empty)
3d ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑ ↑
```
### Explanation
- **Why the 4s electrons are lost first:**
- When atoms lose electrons to form positive ions, they tend to lose the electrons that are in the highest energy level or the outermost shell first. For transition metals like iron, although the 4s subshell is filled before the 3d subshell when these electrons are added during the filling process, they are higher in energy once the 3d subshell begins to fill. This is exactly what happens in the case of Fe when it ionizes to form Fe²⁺.
In summary, the condensed electron configuration for Fe²⁺ is \(\text{[Ar]} \, 3d^6\), as it reflects the loss of the two 4s electrons from the neutral iron configuration.