What is the electron configuration for Oxygen (O)?

Oxygen has an atomic number of 8, which means it has 8 electrons when neutral. To determine the electron configuration, we fill the orbitals in accordance with the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle.

The first two electrons fill the 1s orbital, giving us 1s². Next, two additional electrons are placed in the 2s orbital, resulting in 2s². The next four electrons will occupy the 2p orbital. Therefore, the correct configuration for the 8 electrons is 1s² 2s² 2p⁴, which accurately represents oxygen's filled electron shells and accounts for all 8 electrons.

This choice reflects the proper filling of the p orbitals, which is crucial since oxygen's atomic structure is based on its ability to form bonds and its placement in the periodic table. Other configurations do not correctly represent the number of electrons or their arrangement in orbitals, leading to deviations from the actual electron structure of neutral oxygen.