How does Sulfur have 3d orbitals available when it's configuration is: SULFUR 1S2 2S2 2P6 3S2 3P4 (NO D orbitals!!)
Thanks!
Confused
Thanks!
Confused
I understand that 3d fills post 4s, but my confusion is to the following question:
22)Which of the following best explains why sulfur can make more bonds than Oxygen?
a)Sulfur is more electronegative than oxygen
b)oxygen is more electronegative than sulfur
c)sulfur has 3d orbitals not available to oxygen
d)sulfur has fewer valence electrons
The answer in EK is C, which confuses me..I thought sulfur was
[Ne]3s(^2)3p(^4), thus no 4s orbital, and no 3d! I am confused as to how Sulfur has 3d bonding available to it, considering it's location on the periodic table.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the fact that sulfur has anything in the 3's means that a 3d orbital *does* exist, it just hasn't been filled yet because it's at a higher energy and doesn't get filled until after 4s.
Think back to quantum numbers. the principal quantum number n=3 so l/subshell can be 0 (s), 1 (p), or 2 (d). They all exist even if there's nothing in them... for Oxygen n=2 so l can only be 0 (s) or 1 (p)
Electron configuration does not necessarily tell you what orbitals exist, just which orbitals have been filled.