What is the electron configuration of the Zn^2+ ion?

To determine the electron configuration of the Zn²⁺ ion, it's important to start with the electron configuration of neutral zinc (Zn). Zinc has an atomic number of 30, which means it has 30 electrons. The electron configuration for neutral zinc is [Ar] 4s² 3d¹⁰, where it fills the 4s subshell before the 3d subshell.

When zinc loses two electrons to form the Zn²⁺ ion, the two electrons are removed first from the highest principal energy level, which in this case is the 4s subshell. As a result, the electron configuration of Zn²⁺ becomes [Ar] 3d¹⁰, indicating that all the d orbitals are fully filled while the s orbital of the 4th energy level is empty.

This configuration accounts for the stable nature of Zn²⁺, as it has a fully filled d subshell (3d¹⁰), which enhances its stability in various chemical environments.

Thus, the correct electron configuration for the Zn²⁺ ion is [Ar] 3d¹⁰.