Electron Configuration:
* 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p²
Explanation:
* 1s²: The first energy level (n=1) has two electrons in the 1s orbital.
* 2s² 2p⁶: The second energy level (n=2) has two electrons in the 2s orbital and six electrons in the 2p orbitals.
* 3s² 3p⁶: The third energy level (n=3) has two electrons in the 3s orbital and six electrons in the 3p orbitals.
* 4s² 3d¹⁰: The fourth energy level (n=4) has two electrons in the 4s orbital and ten electrons in the 3d orbitals. Note that the 3d orbitals are filled after the 4s orbital.
* 4p⁶: The fourth energy level (n=4) has six electrons in the 4p orbitals.
* 5s² 4d¹⁰: The fifth energy level (n=5) has two electrons in the 5s orbital and ten electrons in the 4d orbitals.
* 5p²: The fifth energy level (n=5) has two electrons in the 5p orbitals.
Stable Configuration:
The electron configuration of tin is considered stable because its outer shell (5p) contains two electrons, which is half-filled. While a full shell of eight electrons is ideal, a half-filled shell is also relatively stable due to its balanced distribution of electrons.
Important Note: Tin can exist in two allotropic forms: white tin and gray tin. The electron configuration provided above is for white tin, the most common form. Gray tin has a slightly different electronic structure due to its different crystal lattice.
