Question

The electronic configuration of an element is 2, 8, 6. Which one of the following element is chemically similar to the above element?

• A. Nitrogen
• B. Oxygen
• C. Phosphorous
• D. Chlorine

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

To solve the problem, we need to identify the element with an electronic configuration similar to $2, 8, 6$.

1. Understanding the Electronic Configuration:
The electronic configuration $2, 8, 6$ corresponds to an element with 16 electrons. The number of electrons in an atom is equal to its atomic number. Thus, this element has an atomic number of 16.

2. Identifying the Element with Atomic Number 16:
The element with atomic number 16 is Sulfur (S), which has the electronic configuration $2, 8, 6$. We are asked to find a chemically similar element, which means it must have the same number of electrons in the outermost shell (valence electrons).

3. Verifying the Chemical Similarity:
The elements with 6 valence electrons are Oxygen (O), Sulfur (S), Selenium (Se), and Chlorine (Cl). Among the given options, Oxygen (O) has the same number of valence electrons (6) as the element with electronic configuration $2, 8, 6$.

Final Answer:
The element chemically similar to the given element is $ \mathbf{Oxygen (O)} $.