Question

When a copper atom loses an electron to become a Cu+
ion, what are the possible
quantum numbers of the electron that was lost

Answer 1

Look at its position on the periodic table. Although it has some electrons in the fourth shell (the s subshell), the the electrons that are the easiest to remove are in the THIRD shell, part of the d subshell (remember it goes 4s^2, 3d^10, 3p^6), so your first quantum number will be three. The second quantum number, since you're in the d orbital, will be 2. The third quantum number would seemingly be any of the five orbitals associated with a d subshell, and this could range anywhere from -2 through 2. Then give the electron whatever spin you like, positive or negative one half.

So, a good one would be (3, 2, -2, +1/2).

Answer 2

I believe the previous post is inaccurate, unless there is some other context that I am missing. The quantum numbers to which it refers are those of the copper atom, not that of the electron that as freed through ionization. An electron has two possible spin states m = -1/2 and +1/2. A free electron has no orbital angular momentum, so l = 0.

Answer 3

It was under the assumption that the electron hadn't been removed from the copper atom.