A neutral atom has the following electronic configuration: `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^(5)`
To which group of the periodic table does this element belong?

Options

A. I
B. VII
C. II
D. VI

Answer

To determine the group of the periodic table to which the element with the electronic configuration `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^(5)` belongs, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Electronic Configuration**:
The given electronic configuration is `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^(5)`.

2. **Count the Total Number of Electrons**:
To find the atomic number (which is equal to the number of protons in a neutral atom), we count the electrons:
- `1s^(2)` contributes 2 electrons
- `2s^(2)` contributes 2 electrons
- `2p^(6)` contributes 6 electrons
- `3s^(2)` contributes 2 electrons
- `3p^(5)` contributes 5 electrons

Adding these together:
\[ 2 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 5 = 17 \]
Therefore, the atomic number is 17.

3. **Identify the Element**:
The element with atomic number 17 is Chlorine (Cl).

4. **Determine the Group Number**:
Chlorine is located in Group 17 of the periodic table. This is because it has 7 electrons in its outermost shell (the 3rd shell in this case), which consists of 2 electrons from `3s` and 5 electrons from `3p`.

5. **Conclusion**:
Therefore, the element with the electronic configuration `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^(5)` belongs to Group 17 of the periodic table.

### Final Answer:
The element belongs to Group 17.

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