What element corresponds to the configuration [Rn] 7s² 5f⁶?

The electron configuration [Rn] 7s² 5f⁶ indicates that the element has a total of 86 electrons from radon (Rn) plus the additional electrons in the 7s and 5f subshells, amounting to 92 electrons overall. In the periodic table, the element with an atomic number of 92 is uranium (U), and moving beyond uranium into the actinides and later elements, we find that the 5f subshell starts filling up.

Specifically, the element with the configuration [Rn] 7s² 5f⁶ is Curium (Cm). However, as Curium has an atomic number of 96, the confusion may arise since the configuration actually corresponds to an element called Plutonium (Pu), which with an atomic number of 94 fits into the actinide series, thus clarifying that the given configuration corresponds strictly to the electronic state of an element situated between uranium and americium.

Since the element corresponding to the electron configuration provided in the question reflects an accurate description of Plutonium, this indicates that the correct choice about the element's configuration is indeed that of Plutonium.