Question

What is the electronic configuration of carbon in it’s excited state?

(a) 1s^22s^22p^4

(b) 1s^22s^22p^3

(c) 1s^22s^22p^5

(d) 1s^22s^12p^4

This question was posed to me by my school teacher while I was bunking the class.

My question is from Valence Bond Theory in portion Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure of Chemistry – Class 11

Answer 1

The correct option is (b) 1s^22s^22p^3

To explain I would say: The electronic configuration of carbon in its ground state is given by 1s^22s^22p^4. When it’s in an excited state, that is when it loses an electron, that would be from 2p-orbital. So the excited state’s electronic configuration is 1s^22s^22p^3.