Zn1+

[Michelle Dong 1F]

Is the electron configuration for Zn1+ [Ar]3d104s1, which is the same as the electron configuration for Cu? If so, what's the reason for it?

[Ishan Saha 1L]

Yes, the electron configuration for Zn1+ is [Ar]3d^10 4s^1, the same as that of Cu. This is because electrons are removed from the higher energy level, which in this case would be the 4s level. Further more, due to electron shielding that results from all the electrons in the 3d orbital, the 4s energy level will have a greater tendency to lose electrons. It is also important to not that Zn only has one naturally occurring ion which would be Zn2+, with an electron configuration of [Ar]3d^10. This allows Zn2+ to remain stable because it has an entirely empty 4s orbital and an entirely full 3d orbital.

[Ivy Lu 1C]

Zn1+ has that configuration because when you're writing the electron configuration for an cation you take electrons from the outermost orbital. In this case, you're taking the electron from the 4s orbital.