Question

The electronic configuration of Sulphur is:

Answer 1

Hint: The atomic number of Sulphur is 16. It is a group 16 element. In its native form sulphur is a yellow crystalline solid. In nature it occurs as the pure element or as sulphide and sulphate minerals.

Complete step by step answer:
The atomic number of Sulphur is 16. It is denoted by ‘S’. It is a multivalent non-metal. It is tasteless and odourless.
Now, as the atomic number of Sulphur is 16, it has 16 electrons. Aufbau Rule gives the order of energies of the various orbitals.
According to the Aufbau Rule, energy of 1s orbital < energy of 2s orbital < energy of 2p orbital < energy of 3s orbital < energy of 3p orbital < energy of 4s orbital < energy of 3d orbital and so on. Thus, in writing the electronic configuration of Sulphur, the first two electrons will go in the 1s orbital. The maximum capacity of an s orbital is two. So, the next two electrons will go in the 2s orbital. The p orbital can hold a maximum of six electrons. Therefore, the next six electrons will go to the 2p orbital. 10 electrons have been filled up to the 2p orbital and we are left with 6 electrons. The next two electrons will go to the 3s orbital. Now, we will move to the 3p orbital where we will place the remaining four electrons.
Therefore, the electronic configuration of sulphur is:
\[1{s^2}2{s^2}2{p^6}3{s^2}3{p^4}\]

Note: Make sure to remember that the energy of 4s orbital is less than the energy of 3d orbital. There are more exceptions in the energy levels of orbitals which can be checked using the Aufbau Rule.