Question

which of the following shows the most likely orbital configuration for the element fluorine (f)?

Explanation:

Step1: Recall fluorine's atomic number

Fluorine has an atomic number of 9, so it has 9 electrons.

Step2: Fill orbitals according to rules

Electrons fill orbitals in the order 1s, 2s, 2p. The 1s orbital can hold 2 electrons, the 2s orbital can hold 2 electrons, and the 2p orbital can hold 6 electrons. First, 2 electrons go in 1s, then 2 in 2s, and the remaining 5 in 2p. According to Hund's rule, electrons in degenerate orbitals (2p in this case) first occupy orbitals singly with parallel spins before pairing up.

Answer:

The third option (with 2 electrons in 1s, 2 in 2s, and 5 in 2p with the correct spin - pairing and single - occupancy according to Hund's rule) shows the correct orbital configuration for fluorine.