Which atom (X) is indicated by the following configuration?
`Xto[Ne]3s^(2)3p^(3)`

Options

A. Nitrogen
B. Chlorine
C. Phosphorus
D. Sulphur

Answer

To determine which atom (X) corresponds to the given electron configuration `[Ne] 3s^2 3p^3`, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Electron Configuration
The given configuration is `[Ne] 3s^2 3p^3`. Here, `[Ne]` represents the electron configuration of the noble gas Neon, which has 10 electrons.

### Step 2: Count the Electrons
Next, we need to count the total number of electrons represented in the configuration:
- Neon contributes 10 electrons.
- The `3s^2` indicates 2 electrons in the 3s subshell.
- The `3p^3` indicates 3 electrons in the 3p subshell.

Adding these together:
- Total electrons = 10 (from Ne) + 2 (from 3s) + 3 (from 3p) = 15 electrons.

### Step 3: Determine the Atomic Number
The atomic number of an atom is equal to the number of electrons in a neutral atom. Since we have calculated that the total number of electrons is 15, the atomic number of atom X is also 15.

### Step 4: Identify the Element
Now, we need to identify which element has an atomic number of 15. Referring to the periodic table:
- The element with atomic number 15 is Phosphorus (P).

### Conclusion
Therefore, the atom X indicated by the configuration `[Ne] 3s^2 3p^3` is Phosphorus.

### Final Answer
The atom (X) is Phosphorus (P).

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