1. Neutral Niobium (Nb):
* Niobium has an atomic number of 41, meaning it has 41 electrons.
* The electron configuration of neutral Niobium is: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s¹ 4d⁴
2. Niobium 2+ (Nb²⁺):
* When Niobium loses two electrons to become Nb²⁺, it loses them from the highest energy level first.
* Therefore, the two electrons are removed from the 5s orbital.
3. Electron Configuration of Nb²⁺:
* The final electron configuration of Nb²⁺ is: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 4d⁴
Important Note: The electron configuration of transition metals can be slightly more complex due to the possibility of d-orbital involvement. However, for Nb²⁺, the most stable configuration is the one shown above.
