The outer shell configuration of the most electronegative element is

Options

A. `ns^(2) np^(3)`
B. `ns^(2) np^(4)`
C. `ns^(2) np^(5)`
D. `ns^(2) np^(6)`

Answer

To determine the outer shell configuration of the most electronegative element, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the most electronegative element
The most electronegative element in the periodic table is fluorine (F). Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons, and fluorine has the highest electronegativity value.

**Hint:** Look for the element with the highest electronegativity value on the periodic table.

### Step 2: Determine the group of the most electronegative element
Fluorine belongs to the halogen group, which is Group 17 of the periodic table. Halogens are known for their high electronegativity.

**Hint:** Remember that halogens are found in Group 17 of the periodic table.

### Step 3: Write the electron configuration of fluorine
The atomic number of fluorine is 9, which means it has 9 electrons. The electron configuration for fluorine is:
- 1s² 2s² 2p⁵

This shows that fluorine has a total of 7 electrons in its outer shell (2 in the 2s subshell and 5 in the 2p subshell).

**Hint:** Count the total number of electrons in the outermost shell to find the outer shell configuration.

### Step 4: Express the outer shell configuration
The outer shell configuration can be expressed as:
- ns² np⁵

For fluorine, this translates to:
- 2s² 2p⁵

This indicates that the outer shell (n=2) has 2 electrons in the s subshell and 5 electrons in the p subshell.

**Hint:** Use the notation "ns² np⁵" to represent the outer shell configuration of elements in Group 17.

### Final Answer
The outer shell configuration of the most electronegative element (fluorine) is:
- **2s² 2p⁵**