Question

1. which is the correct orbital diagram for sulfur (electrons = 16)? * 4 points

a. ends with 3p⁶ (all orbitals filled)
b. ends with 3p⁴ (two orbitals paired, one single)
c. ends with 3p² (two orbitals half - filled)
d. ends with 3p⁵ (one orbital fully paired, two single)

Explanation:

Step1: Recall electron - filling rules

Electrons fill orbitals according to the Aufbau principle (low - energy orbitals first), Pauli exclusion principle (each orbital can hold at most 2 electrons with opposite spins), and Hund's rule (electrons fill degenerate orbitals singly first before pairing).

Step2: Write the electron configuration of sulfur

Sulfur has 16 electrons. The electron configuration is $1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{4}$.

Step3: Analyze the 3p sub - shell

The 3p sub - shell has 3 orbitals. According to Hund's rule, for the 4 electrons in the 3p sub - shell, 2 electrons will pair up in one orbital and the other 2 will occupy separate orbitals singly. So it ends with $3p^{4}$ (two orbitals paired, one single).

Answer:

B. Ends with 3p⁴ (two orbitals paired, one single)