NEETChemistryStructure of Atom
Why do chromium and copper have five and ten electrons in the 3d orbitals, respectively, instead of four and nine as expected based on their position?
Options
- AThey violate the Aufbau principle.
- BThey have fully filled 4s orbitals.
- CThey have half-filled 4s orbitals.
- DFully filled and half-filled orbitals have extra stability.
Correct answer
D. Fully filled and half-filled orbitals have extra stability.
Step-by-step solution
The fully filled and half-filled orbitals have extra stability, which is why chromium and copper adopt the d5 and d10 configurations.