The electron configuration of zinc (Zn) is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2.
Zinc has an atomic number of 30, which means it has 30 electrons. To find the electron configuration, we fill the orbitals in the order of increasing energy according to the Aufbau principle. Electrons fill the 1s orbital first, then 2s, followed by 2p, and so on. For zinc, after filling the 3p orbital with 6 electrons, the next electrons fill the 3d orbital, which can hold up to 10 electrons, and finally 4s with 2 electrons.
This configuration shows that zinc is a transition metal, as indicated by the filled 3d subshell, which contributes to its unique chemical properties.