Hey thanks guys for posting your replys. I was revising AS Chemistry and i was asked to write the configuration of copper. I wrote it as, 1S^2, 2S 2, 2PX 2, PY2 PZ2, 3S2 3P6 4S 2, 3D 9. Which is incorrect. He said this because 1 shell is half filled to give more stability, but which one. My lecturer didn't tell me why. And i checked on the internet but i cant find a valid source some one Help me plz. i need to know by Friday as i have a mock exam on Monday. Thanks people!!!
Yes RoboHondaMonkey is right, sometimes certain elemental isotopes will favor having the outer d shells filled and lose electron in the more unfavorable ones.
Copper always tricks people because it takes an electron from the previously filled 4s2 orbital and forms 4s1 3d10. This is because it is more energetically favorable for copper to have a complete d orbital than the s.
