In the fully excited state, number of unpaired electrons in tellurium ...
The number of unpaired electrons in an atom can be determined by looking at its electron configuration. In the case of tellurium (Te), the atomic number is 52, meaning it has 52 electrons.
Te belongs to the p-block of the periodic table and is located in Group 16. In its ground state, Te has the electron configuration [Kr] 5s^24d^105p^4.
To determine the number of unpaired electrons, we need to consider the fully excited state of Te. "Fully excited" means that all available electrons have been promoted to higher energy levels.
In the fully excited state, the electron configuration of Te becomes [Kr] 5s^24d^105p^5.
To determine the number of unpaired electrons, we need to understand the filling order of the orbitals. The 5s and 5p orbitals can hold a maximum of 2 electrons each, while the 4d orbital can hold a maximum of 10 electrons.
- The 5s and 5p orbitals are completely filled in the ground state, so they do not contribute any unpaired electrons.
- In the fully excited state, one electron is added to the 5p orbital, resulting in one unpaired electron in the 5p subshell.
- The 4d orbital remains completely filled, so it does not contribute any unpaired electrons.
Therefore, in the fully excited state, tellurium has 1 unpaired electron in the 5p subshell.
However, the question specifically asks for the number of unpaired electrons in the fully excited state. It is worth noting that the 5p subshell can accommodate a maximum of 6 electrons. Since there is only 1 electron in the 5p subshell in the fully excited state, there are 5 vacant spots for additional electrons. These vacant spots can potentially accommodate 5 more unpaired electrons if they are promoted to higher energy levels.
In summary, the correct answer is 6, which represents the number of unpaired electrons that can exist in the fully excited state of tellurium.