What is the electronic configuration of a calcium ion?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the electronic configuration of a calcium ion, which refers to the arrangement of electrons in an ionized form of calcium. Since a calcium ion typically refers to a Ca²⁺ ion, we will determine the electronic configuration by removing two electrons from the neutral calcium atom's configuration.
Answer
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6
The electronic configuration of a Ca2+ ion is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6
Answer for screen readers
The electronic configuration of a Ca2+ ion is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6
More Information
A calcium atom has an atomic number of 20, meaning it typically has 20 electrons. When it forms a Ca2+ ion, it loses the two outermost 4s electrons, resulting in the configuration of the preceding noble gas, Argon.
Tips
A common mistake is forgetting to remove the correct number of electrons from the outermost shell, which can lead to an incorrect configuration.
Sources
- What is the electron configuration of Ca+2? - Socratic - socratic.org
- The electron configuration calcium ion - toppr.com
- 7.4: Electron Configurations of Ions - Chemistry LibreTexts - chem.libretexts.org
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