What is the electron configuration for the element with atomic number 80?

The element with atomic number 80 is lead (Pb). To derive its electron configuration, we start from the noble gas core, xenon, which has an atomic number of 54. The next energy levels that need to be filled correspond to the 6s, 4f, and 5d subshells.

First, the 6s subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so we add 6s^2. Following this, the 4f subshell is filled with 14 electrons, represented as 4f^14. Lastly, we move on to the 5d subshell. The 5d subshell can hold a total of 10 electrons, and since lead has a total of 80 electrons, we need to ensure that we have accounted for all 80 in the electron configuration.

By totaling the electrons:

• 54 are accounted for up to the xenon core,

• 2 from the 6s^2,

• 14 from the 4f^14,

• and we add 10 for the 5d^10.

This sums to 80 electrons, which confirms that our electron configuration is complete and correct. The configuration B,