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Electron Configurations Guide

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19 views5 pages

Electron Configurations Guide

Uploaded by

Baji Janjanam (CHANAKYA)
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Electron Configurations More guides at

www.breslyn.org
Video Workbook with Dr. B

Be active in your learning! Work problems,


Enhance your learning by watching my step-by- check your work, and find areas where you
step video as you follow along with this guide. are weak and focus your study there.

Table of Contents and Key Skills:


• Write electron configurations for ions.
• Find the number of electrons for an element/atom.
• Write condensed electron configurations for
• Write electron configuration notation: 1s22s22p6 … elements.
• Find the number of valence electrons from the electron • Recognize exceptional electron
configuration for an element. configurations.

Steps for Writing Electron Configurations

1. Determine the Number of Electrons: The total number of electrons in a neutral atom equals its atomic number.
2. Fill Orbitals Across Energy Levels: Starting from the lowest energy orbital, move across periods (rows) on the
periodic table to fill orbitals (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, etc.).

3. Verify Electron Count: The total number of electrons used should match the atomic number of the element.

For elements on the Periodic Table:


Number of Protons = Number of Electrons

Practice: Determine the total number of electrons for each element:

More Practice:
How to find the
number of electrons
for elements and ions.
There are two main ways to write the electron configurations for elements.
Using the Periodic Table
Using the Diagonal Chart

Watch the video for further explanation. Watch the video for a full explanation.

Example: Sodium (Na) is atomic number 11. It has 11 protons and 11 electrons.

Using the Periodic Table below:


• There are two electrons in the 1st energy level (1s2).
• There are eight electrons in the 2nd energy level (2s22p6).
• There is one electron in the 3rd energy level (3s1).

The electron configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1 . The superscripts add up to 11.

Practice: Write the configurations for:

Nitrogen (N):

Argon (Ar):

Cesium (Cs):

Memorize this!

s=2 p=6 d = 10 f = 14

Valence Electrons: Electrons in highest Practice: How many valence electrons?


energy level. Involved in chemical bonding.
Na 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1
For example: 1s2 2s2 2p2
Cl 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p5
Typically considered to be electrons in the
s and p sublevels. Ne 1s2 2s2 2p6

Transition metals get a bit more complicated. Al3+ 1s2 2s2 2p6
The Periodic Table is About Patterns!

Here’s how to quickly determine the number of valence electrons for an element. We can do this because of
the patterns found in the Periodic Table.

Practice: How many valence electrons are there for: Ca: _____ Br: ____ O: _____ P: ____

Electron Configurations for Ions


For positive ions we remove electrons. For negative ions we add electrons.
Na is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1 Na+ is 1s2 2s2 2p6 Cl is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p5 Cl- is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6

Practice: Complete the table below.

Atom Configuration Ion Configuration


Ca 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 Ca2+
P 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3 P3-
O 1s2 2s2 2p4 O2-

Br 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p5 Br-

H 1s1 H+
Condensed Electron Configuration
1. Find the element on the periodic table.
2. Write the electron configuration for electrons in the highest energy level. More help: How to
write condensed
3. Use noble gas notation to write the nearest noble gas before the element. electron configurations.
For example, Li would be [He]2s1

Practice: Write the condensed electron configurations for the following:

Atom Configuration Condensed Configuration


Ca 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 Ca
P 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3 P
O 1s2 2s2 2p4 O

Br 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 3p5 Br

H 1s1 H

Exceptional Electron Configurations

Be familiar with the electron configurations of Cr and Cu, as these are common exam topics.

Both elements exhibit unique configurations that achieve lower energy and increased stability, Cr by
half-filling and Cu by fully filling their d subshells.
Exceptional
See my video on Exceptional Electron Configurations. electron configurations.

Extra Practice with Video Explanations


1. Which neutral element has the electron configuration 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 ?
2. What will the last term be in the electron configuration for Mg?
3. How many valence electrons will there be for Cl ( 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p5 ) ?
4. Atoms form ions to achieve __________________ configuration to be more stable.
5. What is the condensed configuration for Cl?
[Ne] 3s2 3p5 Video Solution 5.
A Noble gas configuration. 4.
The highest energy level is 3. So, we add all the electrons in that level. 2 + 5 = 7 3.
You could use the pattern we learned for the periodic table to quickly see it is 3s2 Video Solution 2.
There are 30 total electrons the atomic number is 30. This is Zinc (Zn). Video Solution 1.
Write the electron configurations for each element:

Easy Medium Difficult

H https://youtu.be/2_ZlpPKpZzM F https://youtu.be/ewEy4iEUoOA Cr https://youtu.be/lwIXF2IHFzU

Li https://youtu.be/IHLuzmv2VzU Cl- https://youtu.be/11o5HVFulvE Cu https://youtu.be/At3j7r1shxE

Mg https://youtu.be/SKISUNpctr8 Kr https://youtu.be/fwTviVyk0TY Fe https://youtu.be/HcXj60cSUX4

Answers
Mg 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 Kr 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6
Fe 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d6
Li 1s2 2s1 Cl- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 Cu 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s1
H 1s1
F 1s2 2s2 2p5 Cr 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d5 4s1

Report errors and suggestions to DrB@breslyn.org

www.Breslyn.org

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