JEE Main levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 2 of 3df196
Plutonium (Z = 94) has the ground-state configuration [Rn]5f67s2. The number of unpaired electrons in PuX4+ is
A4
B2
C5
D6
Answer: A
Removing the two 7s electrons and two 5f electrons gives PuX4+ with 5f4. Four electrons occupy four separate 5f orbitals with parallel spins, so there are 4 unpaired electrons.