Give the main shell configuration for chlorine.
A)17
B)18
C)2, 8, 7
D)35

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Chlorine has 17 electrons, so its main shell configuration is written as 2, 8, 7. This means that it has two electrons in the first shell, eight in the second shell, and seven in the third shell. Choice A (17) is just giving the number of electrons, which is not a configuration. Choice B (18) is the number of electrons in the noble gas argon, which is not relevant to chlorine. Choice D (35) is just giving the atomic number of chlorine, which again is not a configuration.

Give the Main Shell Configuration for Chlorine