What is the full electron configuration for the Sn²⁺ ion?

The full electron configuration for the Sn²⁺ ion (tin ion with a +2 charge) can be determined by first identifying the electron configuration of a neutral tin atom.

The neutral tin (Sn) atom has an atomic number of 50, which means it has 50 electrons. The electron configuration for a neutral tin atom is:

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p²

When tin loses two electrons to form the Sn²⁺ ion, it loses the two outermost electrons, which are in the 4p subshell. Thus, the electron configuration for the Sn²⁺ ion becomes:

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰

This indicates that the Sn²⁺ ion has a total of 48 electrons, which corresponds to the configuration listed above.

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