Four possible electron configurations for a nitrogen atom are shown below, but only one schematic represents the correct configuration for a nitrogen atom in its ground state. which one is the correct electron configuration?

There is only one electronic configuration possible for nitrogen. It must follow the three basic rules of quantum mechanics: Aufbau's Principle, Hund's Rule and Pauli-Exclusion Principle. Nitrogen has 7 electrons at ground state (neutral). They are arranged as shown in the attached picture.

There is one s orbital, and there are three p orbitals, five d orbitals, and seven f orbitals. thus, the answer is b. do not confuse the number of orbitals in a subshell with the number of electrons the subshell can hold. each orbital can hold two electrons, so the capacity of an nf subshell is 14 electrons.