The noble gas electron configuration for the Sn²⁺ ion is [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p0.
To understand how we arrive at this configuration, let’s break it down:
- Tin (Sn) has an atomic number of 50, which means in its neutral state, it has 50 electrons.
- The electron configuration for neutral tin is [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p2.
- When tin loses two electrons to form the Sn²⁺ ion, these electrons will be removed from the highest energy level. In this case, the 5p electrons are the highest in energy.
- After losing the two 5p electrons, the electron configuration becomes [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p0.
Thus, the noble gas electron configuration for the Sn²⁺ ion reflects the loss of two electrons from the neutral tin atom and shows that it now has a stable configuration similar to the previous noble gas, krypton.