Complete the exercises below. Write out the ground-state electron configurations of: a. Ti³⁺ d. Mn⁴⁺

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Begin by identifying the atomic number of the element. Titanium (Ti) has an atomic number of 22, and Manganese (Mn) has an atomic number of 25.
2. Step 2: Write the electron configuration for the neutral atom. For Titanium (Ti), the electron configuration is: ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{18}{\mathrm{3d}}^2{\mathrm{4s}}^2$. For Manganese (Mn), the electron configuration is: ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{18}{\mathrm{3d}}^5{\mathrm{4s}}^2$.
3. Step 3: Determine the number of electrons to remove based on the charge of the ion. For Ti³⁺, remove 3 electrons. For Mn⁴⁺, remove 4 electrons.
4. Step 4: Remove electrons starting from the outermost shell (highest energy level). For Ti³⁺, remove 2 electrons from the 4s orbital and 1 electron from the 3d orbital. For Mn⁴⁺, remove 2 electrons from the 4s orbital and 2 electrons from the 3d orbital.
5. Step 5: Write the electron configuration for the ion. For Ti³⁺, the configuration is: ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{18}{\mathrm{3d}}^1$. For Mn⁴⁺, the configuration is: ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{18}{\mathrm{3d}}^3$.

Key Concepts

Electron Configuration

Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals. It follows the Aufbau principle, which states that electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first, and is represented using a notation that indicates the energy levels and sublevels occupied by electrons. Understanding this concept is crucial for determining the electron configuration of ions, as it helps in identifying how many electrons are present and how they are arranged.

Ionization and Charge

Ionization refers to the process of removing electrons from an atom, resulting in the formation of ions. The charge of an ion indicates the number of electrons lost or gained compared to the neutral atom. For example, Ti³⁺ indicates that titanium has lost three electrons, while Mn⁴⁺ indicates that manganese has lost four electrons. Recognizing how to adjust the electron configuration based on the ion's charge is essential for accurately writing the configurations of these ions.

Transition Metals and d-Orbitals

Transition metals are elements found in the d-block of the periodic table, characterized by the presence of d-orbitals. These metals often exhibit variable oxidation states and complex electron configurations due to the involvement of d-electrons in bonding and ionization. Understanding the behavior of d-orbitals is important for predicting the electron configurations of transition metal ions, as the removal of electrons typically occurs from the outermost s and d orbitals.