IV. Electron Configuration

Electrons in Atoms

A. General Rules

Pauli Exclusion Principle

Each orbital can hold 2 electrons

with opposite spins.

“Opposites Attract”

A. General Rules

Aufbau Principle

Electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first.

“Lazy Tenant Rule”

A. General Rules

More on Aufbau

Order Orbitals Fill

RIGHTWRONG

A. General Rules

Hund’s Rule

Within a sublevel, place one e- per orbital before pairing them.

“Empty Bus Seat Rule”

H

1e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s1

B. Notation

1s

He

2e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s2

B. Notation

1s

Li

3e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s2 2s1

B. Notation

1s 2s

Be

4e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s2 2s2

B. Notation

1s 2s

B

5e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s2 2s2 2p1

B. Notation

1s 2s 2p

C

6e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s2 2s2 2p2

B. Notation

1s 2s 2p

N

7e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s2 2s2 2p3

B. Notation

1s 2s 2p

O

8e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s2 2s2 2p4

B. Notation

1s 2s 2p

F

9e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s2 2s2 2p5

B. Notation

1s 2s 2p

Ne

10e-

Orbital Diagram

Electron Configuration

1s2 2s2 2p6

B. Notation

1s 2s 2p

Shorthand Configuration

S 16e-

Valence Electrons

Core Electrons

S 16e- [Ne] 3s2 3p4

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4

B. Notation

Longhand Configuration

B. Notation

Practice with Electron Configuration

Worksheet

© 1998 by Harcourt Brace & Company

nsnp

(n-1)d

(n-2)f

n=1n=2n=3n=4n=5n=6n=7

C. Periodic Patterns

C. Periodic Patterns

Period # energy level (subtract for d & f)

Column within sublevel block # of e- in sublevel

s-block

1st Period

1s11st column of s-block

C. Periodic Patterns

Example - Hydrogen

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

C. Periodic Patterns

Shorthand Configuration Core e-: Go up one row and over to the Noble Gas.

Valence e-: On the next row, fill in the # of e- in each sublevel.

[Ar] 4s2 3d10 4p2

C. Periodic Patterns

Example - Germanium

C. Periodic Patterns

Periodic Patterns Activity

Most stable = Full energy level

1

2

3

4 5

6

7

Full sublevel (s, p, d, f)Half-full sublevel

D. Stability

Electron Configuration Exceptions

Copper

EXPECT: [Ar] 4s2 3d9

ACTUALLY: [Ar] 4s1 3d10

Copper gains stability with a full d-sublevel.

D. Stability

Electron Configuration Exceptions

Chromium

EXPECT: [Ar] 4s2 3d4

ACTUALLY: [Ar] 4s1 3d5

Chromium gains stability with a half-full d-sublevel.

D. Stability

D. Stability

Ion Formation Atoms gain or lose electrons to become

more stable. Isoelectronic with the Noble Gases.

O2- 10e- 1s2 2s2 2p6

D. Stability

Ion Electron Configuration

Write the e- config for the closest Noble Gas

EX: Oxygen ion O2- Ne

D. Stability

Practice with Stability & Electron Configuration Worksheet