Consider the electron configuration of the following atomsI Galium, GaII Calcium, CaIII Iron, FeWhich atom(s) have 2 electrons in the outer shell in their ground state?

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To determine which atoms have 2 electrons in their outer shell in the ground state, we first identify the electron configurations and the outermost shell for each element.
For Ga (I), the configuration ends with 4s2 4p1, meaning the outermost shell (n = 4) contains 1 electron in the 4p subshell, not 2.
For Ca (II), the configuration ends with 4s2, so the outermost shell (n = 4) has two electrons in the 4s subshell, satisfying the criterion.
For Fe (III), the configuration is [Ar] 3d6 4s2; the outermost shell is still n = 4, and it contains two electrons in the 4s subshell, even though there are d electrons in an inner shell. Therefore, the outermost shell has 2 electrons.
In summary, by inspecting the outermost principal quantum shell for each element, Ga has 1 outer electron, while Ca and Fe have 2 outer electrons. Thus, the atoms with 2 electrons in their outer shell are II and III.

MUF0041 Chemistry Unit 1 - Semester 1, 2025 Area of Study 2 Test 1: (Atomic Structure/Periodic Table)

Consider the electron configuration of the following atomsI Galium, GaII Calcium, CaIII Iron, FeWhich atom(s) have 2 electrons in the outer shell in their ground state?

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