Ch. 2 - Chemical Principles

Tortora - Microbiology: An Introduction 14th Edition

Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398Not the one you use?Change textbook

Tortora 14th Edition

Ch. 2 - Chemical Principles

Problem 2

Chapter 2, Problem 2

Diagram the electronic configuration of a carbon atom.

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the atomic number of carbon, which is 6. This means a carbon atom has 6 electrons to arrange in its electron configuration.

Recall the order of filling electron orbitals based on the Aufbau principle: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, and so on. Electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first.

Start placing electrons in the orbitals: fill the 1s orbital first with 2 electrons, then the 2s orbital with 2 electrons.

Next, place the remaining 2 electrons in the 2p orbital. Since 2p can hold up to 6 electrons, place these 2 electrons singly in separate 2p orbitals following Hund's rule.

Draw the diagram showing the orbitals as boxes or lines, and represent electrons as arrows (↑ or ↓) indicating their spin, filling 1s with two arrows, 2s with two arrows, and 2p with two single arrows in separate boxes.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

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

Atomic Structure of Carbon

Carbon has an atomic number of 6, meaning it contains 6 protons and, in a neutral atom, 6 electrons. Understanding the number of electrons is essential to determine how they are arranged in energy levels or shells around the nucleus.

Electron Configuration

Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals or shells. For carbon, electrons fill the lowest energy levels first, following the Aufbau principle, resulting in the configuration 1s² 2s² 2p².

Energy Levels and Subshells

Electrons occupy energy levels (shells) and subshells (s, p, d, f) based on increasing energy. Carbon's electrons fill the first shell (1s) and the second shell's s and p subshells, which is crucial for understanding its chemical bonding and reactivity.

Recommended video:

Guided course

05:04

Introduction to Energy

Related Practice

Textbook Question

What is a chemical element?

721

views

Textbook Question

Radioisotopes are frequently used to label molecules in a cell. The fate of atoms and molecules in a cell can then be followed. This process is the basis for the following question.

Assume E. coli bacteria are grown in a nutrient medium containing the radioisotope ¹⁶N. After a 48-hour incubation period, the ¹⁶N would most likely be found in the E. coli’s

a. Carbohydrates.

b. Lipids.

c. Proteins.

d. Water.

e. None of the above

594

views

Textbook Question

Radioisotopes are frequently used to label molecules in a cell. The fate of atoms and molecules in a cell can then be followed. This process is the basis for the following question.

If Pseudomonas bacteria are supplied with radioactively labeled cytosine, after a 24-hour incubation period this cytosine would most likely be found in the cells’

a. Carbohydrates.

b. DNA.

c. Lipids.

d. Water.

e. Proteins.

532

views

Textbook Question

What type of bond holds the following atoms together?

a. Li⁺ and Cl^- in LiCl

b. Carbon and oxygen atoms in methanol

c. Oxygen atoms in O₂

d. A hydrogen atom of one nucleotide to a nitrogen or oxygen atom of another nucleotide in:

540

views

Textbook Question

Radioisotopes are frequently used to label molecules in a cell. The fate of atoms and molecules in a cell can then be followed. This process is the basis for the following question.

If E. coli were grown in a medium containing the radioactive isotope ³²P, the ³²P would be found in all of the following molecules of the cell except

a. ATP.

b. Carbohydrates.

c. DNA.

d. Plasma membrane.

e. Complex lipids.

716

views