Fe has been placed in the eighth group, the number of electrons in the outermost orbit is

Options

A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4

Explanation

To determine the number of electrons in the outermost orbit of iron (Fe), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Atomic Number of Iron (Fe)**:
- The atomic number of iron is 26. This means that an iron atom has 26 electrons.

2. **Write the Electronic Configuration**:
- The electronic configuration of an element describes the distribution of its electrons in atomic orbitals. For iron, the electronic configuration is:
\[ \text{Fe: } 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^6 \]
- This can also be abbreviated using the noble gas configuration:
\[ \text{Fe: } [Ar] 4s^2 3d^6 \]
- Here, [Ar] represents the electron configuration of Argon, which accounts for the first 18 electrons.

3. **Identify the Outermost Orbit**:
- The outermost orbit for iron is the 4th energy level (n=4), which includes the 4s and 3d subshells.

4. **Count the Electrons in the Outermost Orbit**:
- In the 4s subshell, there are 2 electrons.
- In the 3d subshell, there are 6 electrons.
- Therefore, the total number of electrons in the outermost orbit (4s + 3d) is:
\[ 2 \text{ (from 4s)} + 6 \text{ (from 3d)} = 8 \text{ electrons} \]

5. **Conclusion**:
- The number of electrons in the outermost orbit of iron (Fe) is 8.

### Final Answer:
The number of electrons in the outermost orbit of Fe is **8**.

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