What is the correct electron configuration for Aluminum?

To determine the correct electron configuration for Aluminum, it is essential to understand its atomic structure. Aluminum has an atomic number of 13, which means it has 13 electrons when neutral. The electrons are filled into atomic orbitals following the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle.

The configuration builds from the lowest energy level to the highest. The first two electrons fill the 1s orbital, followed by two in the 2s orbital, and then two in the 2p orbital. This totals 6 electrons (1s² 2s² 2p⁶). Next, the 3s orbital is filled with 2 electrons, bringing the total to 8. Lastly, Aluminum has an additional 3 electrons, which occupy the 3p orbital. This leads to a filling of 3s² (2 electrons) and 3p¹ (1 electron), resulting in a total of 13 electrons.

Thus, the complete electron configuration for Aluminum is [Ne] 3s² 3p¹. The notation [Ne] represents the electron configuration of Neon, which accounts for the first 10 electrons, and then the additional electrons are represented in the subsequent energy levels. This