1. Atomic Number and Protons:
* Sulfur's atomic number is 16. This means it has 16 protons.
* In a neutral atom, the number of protons always equals the number of electrons. So sulfur also has 16 electrons.
2. Electron Configuration:
* To determine the electron arrangement in shells, we use the electron configuration:
* 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴
3. Shell Breakdown:
* Shell 1 (K Shell): Holds a maximum of 2 electrons (1s²). Sulfur has 2 electrons in this shell.
* Shell 2 (L Shell): Holds a maximum of 8 electrons (2s² 2p⁶). Sulfur has 8 electrons in this shell.
* Shell 3 (M Shell): Holds a maximum of 18 electrons (3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰). Sulfur has 6 electrons in this shell (3s² 3p⁴).
Summary:
* Protons: 16
* Electrons: 16
* Shell 1 (K): 2 electrons
* Shell 2 (L): 8 electrons
* Shell 3 (M): 6 electrons
