My book (Kaplan MCAT Gen Chem pg 27) says that for the sulfur atom in the sulfate ion, sulfur's 3s and 3p subshells can only contain 8 of these 12 electrons; the other 4 electrons have entered the sulfur atom's 3d subshell, which in elemental sulfur is empty.
Why did "the other 4 electrons" enter into the 3d subshell INSTEAD of going into the 4s subshell first? it is my understanding that the 4s subshell fills before 3d based on its lower energy level found by adding the principal quantum numbers to their respective azimuthal quantum numbers???
Why did "the other 4 electrons" enter into the 3d subshell INSTEAD of going into the 4s subshell first? it is my understanding that the 4s subshell fills before 3d based on its lower energy level found by adding the principal quantum numbers to their respective azimuthal quantum numbers???
