Both vanadium and its 3+ ion are paramagnetic. Refer to their electron configurations to explain this statement.

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Step 1: Understand the concept of paramagnetism. Paramagnetism occurs when a substance has unpaired electrons, which align with an external magnetic field, causing attraction.

Step 2: Determine the electron configuration of a neutral vanadium atom. Vanadium (V) has an atomic number of 23, so its electron configuration is [Ar] 3d^3 4s^2.

Step 3: Identify the unpaired electrons in the neutral vanadium atom. In the electron configuration [Ar] 3d^3 4s^2, the 3d subshell has three unpaired electrons, which makes vanadium paramagnetic.

Step 4: Determine the electron configuration of the V^3+ ion. When vanadium loses three electrons to form V^3+, the electron configuration becomes [Ar] 3d^2.

Step 5: Identify the unpaired electrons in the V^3+ ion. In the electron configuration [Ar] 3d^2, there are two unpaired electrons in the 3d subshell, which also makes the V^3+ ion paramagnetic.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Electron Configuration

Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals. For vanadium (V), with an atomic number of 23, the electron configuration is [Ar] 3d³ 4s². Understanding this configuration is crucial to determine how many unpaired electrons are present, which directly relates to the paramagnetic property.

Paramagnetism

Paramagnetism is a property of materials that are attracted to magnetic fields due to the presence of unpaired electrons. Both vanadium and its 3+ ion (V³⁺) have unpaired electrons in their electron configurations, which allows them to exhibit paramagnetic behavior. The presence of unpaired electrons is essential for this magnetic property.

Ionization and Electron Loss

Ionization involves the removal of electrons from an atom, resulting in the formation of ions. For vanadium, when it loses three electrons to form V³⁺, the electron configuration changes to [Ar] 3d². Analyzing how the loss of electrons affects the number of unpaired electrons helps explain why both vanadium and V³⁺ remain paramagnetic.