Here's how to figure it out:
1. Find the noble gas that comes before germanium: Argon (Ar) is the noble gas that precedes germanium on the periodic table.
2. Write the noble gas symbol in brackets: [Ar]
3. Determine the remaining electron configuration: Germanium has 32 electrons, and argon has 18. This means we need to account for the remaining 14 electrons. These are distributed as follows:
* 3d10: The 3d subshell is filled with 10 electrons.
* 4s2: The 4s subshell is filled with 2 electrons.
* 4p2: The 4p subshell has 2 electrons.
Therefore, the complete noble gas configuration for germanium is [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p2.
