If the electron configuration of a ground state sodium atom is 1s22s22p63s1,the electron configuration of the sodium cation (Na+)would be:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When a sodium atom loses an electron to become a sodium cation (Na+), it loses the electron from its outermost shell, which is the 3s orbital. The electron configuration of Na+ thus becomes 1s^22s^22p^6, which matches option B.

If the Electron Configuration of a Ground State Sodium Atom