Indicate which electronic configuration amongst the following correctly represent SULPHUR atom ?

Options

A. `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^(2)3d^(2)`
B. `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^(2)4s^(2)`
C. `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^(6)4s^(1) 4p^(1)`
D. `1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^(4)`

Answer

To determine the correct electronic configuration for a sulfur atom, we need to follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Atomic Number
The atomic number of sulfur (S) is 16. This means that a sulfur atom has 16 electrons.

### Step 2: Fill the Electron Orbitals
We will fill the electron orbitals according to the Aufbau principle, which states that electrons occupy the lowest energy orbitals first. The order of filling is as follows:

1. **1s**: Can hold a maximum of 2 electrons.
2. **2s**: Can hold a maximum of 2 electrons.
3. **2p**: Can hold a maximum of 6 electrons.
4. **3s**: Can hold a maximum of 2 electrons.
5. **3p**: Can hold a maximum of 6 electrons.

### Step 3: Count the Electrons
Now, we will fill the orbitals step by step and count the electrons:

- **1s²**: 2 electrons
- **2s²**: 2 electrons
- **2p⁶**: 6 electrons
- **3s²**: 2 electrons
- **3p⁴**: 4 electrons

Now, let's sum these up:
- 2 (from 1s) + 2 (from 2s) + 6 (from 2p) + 2 (from 3s) + 4 (from 3p) = 16 electrons

### Step 4: Write the Complete Electronic Configuration
The complete electronic configuration for a sulfur atom is:
**1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴**

### Conclusion
Thus, the correct electronic configuration that represents a sulfur atom is **1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴**.

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