Question

Sulfur has an atomic number of 16. What is the electron configuration for an electronically neutral atom of sulfur?

Answer 1

S: `1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{4}`

Explanation:

Fill the orbitals from lowest energy to highest energy.

Aufbau's Principle

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`s` orbital can hold up to 2 electrons.
`p` orbital can hold up to 6 electrons.
`d` orbital can hold up to 10 electrons.
`f` orbital can hold up to 14 electrons.

When the lowest orbital is filled, move on to the next lowest energy unfilled orbital.