The correct statement that best describes the arrangement of electrons in an atom of fluorine (F) is:
There are two electrons in the first energy level and five electrons in the second energy level.
Fluorine has an atomic number of 9, which means it has 9 electrons. The distribution of these electrons is as follows:
- The first energy level can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, which is filled by the 2 electrons.
- The second energy level can hold up to 8 electrons, but for fluorine, it contains 7 electrons (9 total - 2 in the first level = 7 in the second level).
Thus, the correct arrangement is 2 electrons in the first energy level and 7 in the second.