Which element corresponds to the electron configuration [Xe] 6s² 4f¹²?

The electron configuration [Xe] 6s² 4f¹² corresponds to the element with a specific arrangement of electrons in its atomic orbitals. In this configuration, the notation [Xe] represents the electron configuration of xenon, which accounts for the filled inner shells. The 6s² indicates that there are two electrons in the 6s orbital, and the 4f¹² indicates that there are twelve electrons in the 4f orbital.

To identify the element, we must note that the lanthanide series encompasses elements with electrons added to the 4f subshell. The position within this series depends on how many electrons occupy the 4f subshell.

When we look at the number of electrons in the f block, we find that 4f¹² indicates that this element has twelve electrons in the f subshell. Counting the electrons from the beginning of the f-block, we find that this corresponds to the element that comes after the 4f¹¹ configuration. In the periodic table, the element with an electron configuration of 4f¹² is actually samarium (Sm), but since we focus on surrounding elements in the lanthanide series, 4f¹² is characteristic of