How to Write an Orbital Diagram for the Ground State of a Potassium Atom? Is the Atomic Substance Diamagnetic or Paramagnetic?

To write an orbital diagram for the ground state of a potassium (K) atom, we first need to know the number of electrons it has. Potassium has 19 electrons. The electron configuration for potassium is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹. This shows that the electrons fill the orbitals in the following manner:

• 1s: 2 electrons
• 2s: 2 electrons
• 2p: 6 electrons
• 3s: 1 electron

The orbital diagram visually represents this configuration. It would look like this:

1s: ↑↓  
2s: ↑↓  
2p: ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑↓  
3s: ↑  

In the above diagram, the arrows represent electrons. The up arrow (↑) indicates an electron with a spin-up, while a down arrow (↓) represents an electron with a spin-down. Each orbital can hold two electrons with opposite spins.

Now, regarding whether potassium is diamagnetic or paramagnetic: Potassium is considered paramagnetic. This is due to the presence of an unpaired electron in its 3s orbital. In general, substances with unpaired electrons exhibit paramagnetism because the unpaired electrons can align their spins with an external magnetic field, making the substance attracted to the field. In contrast, diamagnetic substances have all electrons paired, resulting in a net zero magnetic field effect.