Highest energy will be absorbed to eject out the electron in the configuration

Options

A. `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(1)`
B. `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(3)`
C. `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(2)`
D. `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(4)`

Explanation

To determine which electronic configuration requires the highest energy to eject an electron, we need to analyze the stability of the configurations provided. The energy required to remove an electron from an atom is known as ionization energy.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand Ionization Energy**:
- Ionization energy is the energy required to remove the most loosely bound electron from an isolated atom.
- Higher ionization energy indicates that more energy is needed to remove an electron.

2. **Analyze the Given Configurations**:
- We have four electronic configurations to consider:
1. \( 2s^2 2p^1 \)
2. \( 2s^2 2p^3 \)
3. \( 2s^2 2p^4 \)
4. \( 2s^2 2p^2 \)

3. **Identify Stability of Each Configuration**:
- **Configuration 1: \( 2s^2 2p^1 \)**: This configuration has one electron in the 2p orbital. Removing this electron would leave a stable 2s configuration. Therefore, it requires low energy.
- **Configuration 2: \( 2s^2 2p^3 \)**: This configuration is half-filled (2p has 3 electrons). Half-filled orbitals are more stable due to symmetrical distribution and exchange energy. Removing an electron from here requires more energy.
- **Configuration 3: \( 2s^2 2p^4 \)**: This configuration is not half-filled and removing an electron would lead to a more stable half-filled state (2p^3). Thus, it requires less energy than configuration 2.
- **Configuration 4: \( 2s^2 2p^2 \)**: This configuration has two electrons in the 2p orbital. Removing one electron would lead to a more stable configuration than the original, requiring less energy.

4. **Determine the Highest Ionization Energy**:
- Among the configurations analyzed, \( 2s^2 2p^3 \) is the most stable due to its half-filled nature. Therefore, it will require the highest energy to remove an electron.

5. **Conclusion**:
- The configuration that absorbs the highest energy to eject an electron is \( 2s^2 2p^3 \).