Question

What is the electron configuration of the sulfide ion (${{S}^{-2}}$).

Answer 1

Electronic configuration of an element is going to explain the pattern of arrangement of electrons in the orbitals of the atoms or molecules. The charged ions are going to have either less or more electrons in their orbitals and it is going to depend on the type of the charge.

Complete answer:
- In the question it is asked to write the electronic configuration of the sulfide ion (${{S}^{-2}}$).
- To write the electronic configuration first we should know the electronic configuration of the sulphur atom.
- To write the electronic configuration of the sulphur we should know the atomic number of the sulphur.
- We know that sulphur belongs to p-block and that too it is placed in VIA group.
- The atomic number of sulphur is 16 means sulphur is going to have 16 electronic configurations.
- The electronic configuration of the sulphur atom is as follows.
$1{{s}^{2}}2{{s}^{2}}2{{p}^{6}}3{{s}^{2}}3{{p}^{4}}$
- In the valence shell means in 3p orbital there are four electrons.
- If sulphur is going to accept the electrons then the accepted electrons are going to pair with the two unpaired electrons which are already present in the 3p orbital of the sulphur atom.
- Therefore the electronic configuration of the sulphur atom after accepting two electronic configurations is nothing but the electronic configuration of the sulfide (${{S}^{-2}}$) ion is as follows.
$1{{s}^{2}}2{{s}^{2}}2{{p}^{6}}3{{s}^{2}}3{{p}^{6}}$

Note:
After converting sulphur atom into sulfide ion the stability is going to increase due to the completely filled electronic configuration and attained octet configuration. Then the sulfide ion is more stable than the sulphur atom.