TeXes Science Practice Test

What is the correct electron configuration for sulfur?

1. [He] 2s2 2p4

2. [Ne] 3s2 3p4

3. [Ar] 4s2 3d10 4p4

4. [Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p4

The correct answer is: [Ne] 3s2 3p4

The correct electron configuration for sulfur is based on its atomic number, which is 16. To arrive at the electron configuration, you need to fill the electron subshells in order of increasing energy, which follows the Aufbau principle. Sulfur has two electrons in the first shell (1s) and eight electrons in the second shell (2s and 2p). This accounts for the first 10 electrons in the configuration. The remaining six electrons go into the third shell, filling the 3s subshell with two electrons and the 3p subshell with four electrons. Thus, the full electron configuration is represented as [Ne] (the noble gas configuration for neon, which has 10 electrons) followed by the 3s and 3p electrons, yielding [Ne] 3s2 3p4. This configuration effectively describes the distribution of electrons around the nucleus of a sulfur atom. The other answer choices do not accurately reflect the number of electrons or the correct energy levels for sulfur.