A Sulphur atom in its ground state has the electronic configuration How many orbitals are occupied by at least one electron?

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answer is D.

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Detailed Solution

Let's break down the problem and explain the solution in a simple and detailed way. The question asks us to determine how many orbitals are occupied by at least one electron in the ground-state electronic configuration of a sulfur atom.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Electronic Configuration of Sulfur:The electronic configuration is: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴.This means electrons are arranged in orbitals starting from the lowest energy to the highest, filling according to the Aufbau principle.
Orbital Types and Electron Occupancy:
- 1s orbital: Holds 2 electrons (fully occupied).
- 2s orbital: Holds 2 electrons (fully occupied).
- 2p orbitals: There are 3 2p orbitals (px, py, pz), and they are fully filled with 6 electrons (each orbital has 2 electrons).
- 3s orbital: Holds 2 electrons (fully occupied).
- 3p orbitals: There are 3 3p orbitals (px, py, pz). With 4 electrons, two orbitals are fully filled (2 electrons each), and the third orbital has 1 electron.
Counting the Orbitals with at Least One Electron:
- 1s: 1 orbital (occupied).
- 2s: 1 orbital (occupied).
- 2p: 3 orbitals (all occupied).
- 3s: 1 orbital (occupied).
- 3p: 3 orbitals (all occupied with at least one electron).
Total number of orbitals occupied by at least one electron = 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 3 = 9.
Answer: The correct answer is 9 orbitals.