In the ground state, which shell of a potassium atom has an electron with the greatest amount of energy?
(1) first
(2) second (3) third
(4) fourth
Answer and explanation: In order to do this question, we need to take a look at the periodic table on the reference table. If you are not sure what the symbol for potassium is, you can check table S which has names and symbols. Potassium (K) is in period (row) 4 of the periodic table. Therefore, it's electron with the greatest energy will be in period 4 as well. The further an electron is from the nucleus, the more energy it has. Alternatively, you can see that the electron configuration for potassium is 2-8-8-1, which is 4 shells as well signifying that the electron with greatest energy would be in the 4th shell. Choice 4 is the correct answer.
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