Which electron configuration indicates the element with atomic number 33?

To determine the electron configuration for an element with atomic number 33, it's important to know that the atomic number represents the total number of electrons in a neutral atom. The electron configuration builds up in accordance with the Aufbau principle, filling lower-energy orbitals first before progressing to higher-energy orbitals.

For the element with atomic number 33, the total number of electrons is 33. The noble gas core used for shorthand electron configuration is Argon (Ar), which accounts for the first 18 electrons (as Argon has an atomic number of 18). After Argon, we add the remaining electrons to continue filling the orbitals:

1. The next two electrons fill the 4s orbital (total 20 electrons now).

2. The next ten electrons fill the 3d orbitals (total 30 electrons now).

3. The next three electrons will start filling the 4p orbital.

Thus, the electron configuration will look like this: [Ar] 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p³, which corresponds to the element Arsenic (As), which indeed has an atomic number of 33.

Consequently, the correct answer accurately reflects the distribution of electrons for the element with atomic number