The electron configuration of the [tex]P^{3-}[/tex] ion is:

A. [tex][\text{Ne}] 3s^2 3p^2[/tex]
B. [tex][\text{Kr}] 3s^2 2p^6[/tex]
C. [tex][\text{Ar}] 3s^2 3p^2[/tex]
D. [tex][\text{Ne}] 3s^2 3p^6[/tex]
E. [tex][\text{Ar}] 3s^2 3p^6[/tex]



Answer :

To determine the electron configuration of the \( P^{3-} \) ion, let's go through the steps in detail:

1. Identify the atomic number of phosphorus (P):
Phosphorus has an atomic number of 15, meaning that a neutral phosphorus atom has 15 electrons.

2. Determine the electron configuration of a neutral phosphorus atom:
The electron configuration of a neutral phosphorus atom with 15 electrons is written as:
[tex]\[ 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^3 \][/tex]
This can also be abbreviated using the noble gas notation as:
[tex]\[ [Ne] 3s^2 3p^3 \][/tex]
Here, \([Ne]\) represents the electron configuration of neon, which accounts for the first 10 electrons.

3. Determine the effect of the \(3-\) charge:
The \(3-\) charge indicates that the phosphorus ion has gained 3 additional electrons. Adding these 3 extra electrons to the neutral phosphorus atom, we need to place them in the next available orbitals.

4. Calculate the total number of electrons in \(P^{3-}\):
The neutral phosphorus atom has 15 electrons. Adding 3 more electrons results in a total of 18 electrons for the \(P^{3-}\) ion.

5. Write the electron configuration for 18 electrons:
The electron configuration for 18 electrons corresponds to that of the argon atom, which completes the 3p orbital.
So, the electron configuration becomes:
[tex]\[ 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 \][/tex]
This can also be expressed using noble gas notation as:
[tex]\[ [Ar] 3s^2 3p^6 \][/tex]
Here, \([Ar]\) represents the electron configuration for argon, which includes 18 electrons.

Therefore, the electron configuration of the [tex]\( P^{3-} \)[/tex] ion is [tex]\(\boxed{[Ar] 3s^2 3p^6}\)[/tex].

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