Number of microstates available for a p³ configuration is -

CONCEPT:

Microstates and Electron Configurations

• A microstate is a specific arrangement of electrons in the orbitals of an atom or molecule. The number of microstates depends on the electron configuration and the number of available orbitals.
• The number of microstates for a given electron configuration can be calculated using the formula:
  • Number of Microstates = \(\frac{n!}{r!(n-r)!}\), where n is the total number of available orbitals and r is the number of electrons to be placed.
• For a p³ configuration, there are 3 electrons to be placed in 3 p orbitals \(p_x, p_y,p_z\).

EXPLANATION:

• For the p³ configuration, we calculate the number of microstates as follows:
  • Total number of available orbitals (n) = 3 (one for each of \(p_x, p_y, p_z\)
  • Number of electrons to be placed (r) = 3.
  • The number of microstates is calculated using the combination formula:
  • \(\text{Number of Microstates} = \frac{n!}{r!(n-r)!} = \frac{6!}{3!(6-3)!} = \frac{6 \times 5 \times 4 \times 3!}{3! \times 3!} = 20\)
• However, this formula is for combinations in general, but for a p³ configuration specifically, the correct approach is to use the formula based on available microstates for the given electron arrangement.
• The correct calculation leads to 20 microstates for a p³ configuration.

CONCLUSION:

The correct answer is 20.