Chemistry: A Molecular Approach (3rd Edition)

Published by Prentice Hall
ISBN 10: 0321809246
ISBN 13: 978-0-32180-924-7

Chapter 8 - Sections 8.1-8.9 - Exercises - Review Questions - Page 374: 18

Answer

s block in the periodic table has only two columns while the p block has six, because the s-orbital can have maximum 2 electrons and the p-orbitals can have maximum 6 electrons.

Work Step by Step

Because of the filling order of orbitals, the periodic table can be divided into blocks representing the filling of particular sublevels. The first two columns on the left side of the periodic table comprise the s block, with outer electron configurations of $ ns1$ (the alkali metals) and $ ns2 $ (the alkaline earth metals). The six columns on the right side of the periodic table comprise the p block, with outer electron configurations of $ns2 np1, ns2 np2, ns2 np3, ns2 np4, ns2 np5$ (halogens), and $ns2 np6 $ (noble gases).
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