Selenium (atomic number 34) is a p–block element that exhibits several allotropes and…
CHEMISTRY · Multi-part · CBSE · Chemistry · Structure of Atom · Structure of Atom
Problem
Selenium (atomic number 34) is a p–block element that exhibits several allotropes and is used industrially in photovoltaic cells. Answer the following questions about its ground–state electronic structure.
(a) Write the complete ground-state electron configuration of selenium.
(b) Express the configuration from part (a) in noble-gas (abbreviated) notation.
(c) Draw an orbital-box (arrow-and-box) diagram for all valence-shell orbitals of selenium, clearly indicating the relative orientation of electron spins.
(d) State the number of unpaired electrons present in ground-state selenium and predict whether a macroscopic sample of elemental selenium would be attracted into or repelled out of an external magnetic field. Justify your answer with reference to the orbital diagram from part (c).