Hello,
Could someone kindly explain why the correct electron configuration of Zinc is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰4s² rather than the expected 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰?
I'm aware that Zinc is a d-block transition metal which affects the electron configuration of the 4s and 3d orbital.
Any insight is much appreciated!
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ (30 electrons)
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰4s² Given Zinc is a transition metal, the 4s orbital is filled after the 3d. (need to correct this explanation...)
[Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s², [Ar] represents the electron configuration of Argon (1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶)