Vanadium, niobium and tantalum are metals in the same group of the Periodic Table.

1. (a)The shorthand electronic configuration of vanadium in the ground state is [Ar]3d³4s².
2. (a)(i)State what is meant by the term ground state.[1]
3. (a)(ii)Show the electronic configuration of vanadium using electrons in boxes notation. [Ar] ____ ____ ____ ____ ____[1]
4. (a)(iii)Deduce the total number of electrons in the p sub-shells of a vanadium atom.[1]
5. (b)Pelopium was the suggested name for a new element discovered in a mineral. Pelopium was later found to be a mixture of niobium, Nb, and tantalum, Ta. Only one naturally occurring isotope exists for each of Nb and Ta.
6. (b)(i)Complete Table 1.1. Table 1.1 | isotope | relative isotopic mass | number of protons | number of neutrons | |---|---|---|---| | ⁹³₄₁Nb | 92.91 | | | | ¹⁸¹₇₃Ta | 180.95 | | |[2]
7. (b)(ii)Define relative isotopic mass.[2]
8. (b)(iii)A sample of pelopium contains 90.9% by mass ⁹³₄₁Nb and 9.1% by mass ¹⁸¹₇₃Ta. Calculate the theoretical relative atomic mass of pelopium based on these data and Table 1.1. Give your answer to two decimal places. Show your working. theoretical relative atomic mass of pelopium = [2]