Choose the Best Answer · Q10
Q.The electronic configuration of Eu (Atomic no. 63), Gd (Atomic no. 64) and Tb (Atomic no. 65) are (NEET - Phase II)
(a) [Xe] 4f 5d 6s, [Xe] 4f 5d 6s and [Xe] 4f 5d 6s
(b) [Xe] 4f 6s, [Xe] 4f 5d 6s and [Xe] 4f 6s
(c) [Xe] 4f 6s, [Xe] 4f 6s and [Xe] 4f 5d 6s
(d) [Xe] 4f 5d 6s, [Xe] 4f 5d 6s and [Xe] 4f 6s
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Step 1. A straightforward Aufbau-only prediction for the lanthanides Eu (63), Gd (64) and Tb (65) would suggest filling 4f progressively - but as with Cr and Cu, a half-filled or fully-filled f-subshell carries extra stability, which alters some of these configurations.
Step 2. Europium (Z = 63) achieves the extra-stable, exactly half-filled subshell: its real configuration is (not ).
Step 3. Gadolinium (Z = 64) keeps that stable core and adds one more electron into 5d rather than continuing to fill 4f (since an 8th f electron would break the stable half-filled arrangement): . …
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