What is the electron configuration of a sulfur atom in the ground state?

Answer: The electron configuration of a sulfur atom in the ground state is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴.

Explanation: Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in the energy levels (shells) and subshells of an atom. Sulfur (S), with an atomic number of 16, has an electron configuration that follows the Aufbau principle, which fills lower-energy levels before higher ones. The configuration is broken down as follows:

• 1s²: Two electrons in the first energy level (1s subshell).
• 2s²: Two electrons in the second energy level (2s subshell).
• 2p⁶: Six electrons in the second energy level (2p subshell).
• 3s²: Two electrons in the third energy level (3s subshell).
• 3p⁴: Four electrons in the third energy level (3p subshell).