Topic 1E number 13 a)

[Ashley Zhu 1A]

Part a) of number 13 asks for the ground-state electron configuration for silver, and the answer says it's [Kr] 4d^10 5s^1. The textbook explicitly stated that only chromium and copper were exceptions to the general electron configuration rules and didn't include silver but the answer suggests otherwise. Could someone explain why this happens and what other metals might be an exception?

[Chem_Mod]

Ag is in period 5 right below Copper, and this shows the same trend as Chromium and Copper. The metal wants either a "half full" d subshell (d5) or a "full" d subshell (d10). It's more stable if metal gives up one of 5s electrons to fill the 4d subshell.

[Ashley Zhu 1A]

Thank you! Does this rule apply to gold also? And in that case, why is the e- configuration for tungsten(W), which is in period 6 under chromium, [Xe]4f^14 5d^4 6s^2 and not [Xe] 4f^14 5d^5 6s^1? (part e) of the same problem)