1. Ground State Configuration:
* Sodium (Na) has 11 electrons.
* Its ground state electron configuration is: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹
2. Understanding Excited States:
* An excited state occurs when an electron absorbs energy and jumps to a higher energy level.
* The most likely transition in an excited state is for the electron in the 3s orbital to move to a higher energy level within the same shell (n=3).
3. Excited State Configuration:
* The most common excited state configuration for sodium is: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3p¹
Explanation:
* The electron from the 3s orbital has been promoted to the 3p orbital.
* This is the lowest energy excited state for sodium.
* There are other possible excited states, but this one is the most likely and energetically favorable.
Important Note: Excited states are temporary. The electron will eventually return to its ground state, releasing the absorbed energy as light or heat.
