Write the ground state electron configuration for a neutral carbon atom, and for an excited state of carbon?

1 Answer
Feb 22, 2016

Ground state neutral carbon atom: "1s"^2"2s"^2"2p"^2.

Excited state carbon atom: "1s"^2"2s"^1"2p"^3".

Explanation:

A neutral carbon atom has atomic number 6, with 6 protons and 6 electrons. The ground state electron configuration for carbon is "1s"^2"2s"^2"2p"^2.

When a carbon atom becomes excited by absorbing energy, one of its "2s" electrons is promoted into the "2p" sublevel. The excited state electron configuration for carbon is "1s"^2"2s"^1"2p"^3". larr This is just one possibility.

This is unstable, and the excited electron will drop back down to the "2s" sublevel, emitting electromagnetic radiation as it does so.

The diagram below shows how a carbon atom in its ground state can be excited by the addition of energy.

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