Which element is represented by the configuration [Xe] 6s² 4f¹⁴?

The electron configuration [Xe] 6s² 4f¹⁴ corresponds to the element Ytterbium (Yb), which has the atomic number 70. In this configuration, the notation [Xe] represents the electron configuration of Xenon, which accounts for the first 54 electrons. The additional 16 electrons are accounted for by the 6s² and 4f¹⁴ orbitals.

Ytterbium, a member of the lanthanide series, has two electrons in the 6s subshell and a filled 4f subshell with 14 electrons. This configuration indicates that Yb has reached a stable state by filling the 4f block, which is characteristic of the lanthanides.

The other elements listed do not match this configuration. Europium (Eu) has the configuration [Xe] 6s² 4f⁷, which shows that it has 7 electrons in the 4f subshell rather than the 14 seen in Ytterbium. Plutonium (Pu), an actinide, has a different arrangement entirely, with electrons filling the 5f and 6d orbitals. Samarium (Sm) also has a different electron