Electron

Configurations
Expanding on Bohrs Model

Electron Configuration
Electron

Configuration is the arrangement

of electrons in order of energy levels. The
properties and chemical reactions of an
element depend on the electron
arrangement around the nucleus and in
particular the position and number of
outer shell electrons or valence electrons.
Electrons in the same shell have about the
same energy and are about the same
distance from the nucleus.

Basic Shell Diagrams

What are Shells?

regions

of space around the nucleus

where electrons may be found.
also called energy levels.
symbol is n.
closest shell to the nucleus called lowest
energy level.
electrons fill the lowest energy level first.

How many electrons per shell?

shells

contain the 2n2 of electrons BUT the

outer shell must contain a maximum of 8
electrons.
Shells are numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. outwards
from the nucleus.
Shell Number
1
2
3
4
n

Number of electrons
2
8
18
32
2n2

Electron
configuration
Worksheet

Ionisation Energy

The ionisation energy of an element is the minimum

amount of energy needed to remove an electron
from an atom, or ion, in the gaseous state.

Measurement of the ionisation energies of the

electrons in atoms provides evidence of the
existence of electron shells.

Linking Ionisation Energy to

Electron Shells

Result indicated that:

the outer most electrons are

relatively easily removed.
considerably more energy is
needed to remove the next 8
electrons, because they are in a
different shell.
The energy required to remove the
electrons closest to the nucleus is
considerably larger again.

The data provide evidence for existence of shells and

the maximum numbers of electrons in each shell.

Moving forward from Bohr

Our current model of the arrangement of

electrons is somewhat different to that proposed
by Bohr. It has been developed by Erwin
Schrodinger and other scientists and is known as
Wave Mechanics or Quantum Mechanics.

This model assumes that electrons can behave as

waves. There are no definite orbits; instead the
electrons move in regions of space called orbitals.
Because orbitals containing electrons have diffuse
edges they are sometimes referred to as charge
clouds. Orbitals are organised in subshells, which
are in turn arranged in shells.

Shells and Subshells

Shells
are the major energy levels in which electrons are
located
are numbered 1, 2, 3 outwards from the nucleus, in
order of increasing energy.
Subshells
are found within shells
are given the labels s, p, d, f, g
have energies, within each shell (orbitals), in the
order

s<p<d<f<g

contain orbitals which all have the same energy.

Subshells Orbitals - Electrons

The Pauli Principle

This

principle gives the

number of electrons in
any orbital.

It

states that

An atomic orbital may hold a maximum of 2

electrons.
so

an orbital may have 0, 1, or 2 electrons.

Applying the Pauli principle to

electron configurations
Shell

1 has 1 subshell, s, which contains 1 orbital

and hence a maximum of 2 electrons.
Shell 2 has 2 subshells, called the 2s-subshell
and the 2p-subshell. The 2s-subshell contains 1
orbital and the 2p-subshell contains 3 orbitals.
Hence there can be a maximum of 2 electrons
in the 2s-subshell and 6 in the 2p-subshell. This
gives a maximum of (2 + 6 =) 8 electrons in the
second shell.
Write out the arrangement for Shell 3

Subshell labels & Electron

number

Electron configurations for the

1st 20 Elements

When using subshell notation we follow similar rules to

filling shells for the Bohr model but include the
electron numbers in each subshell.
Electrons usually occupy the lowest energy subshells
in an atom.
So when filling the shells we move from shell 1 (closest
to the nucleus) out filling s,p,d and f as required
E.g.

Sodium Na
Bohrs shell configuration 2, 8, 1
Subshell notation: 1s22s22p63s1

Questions
Using

the sheet handed out earlier as a

guide complete the subshell notation for
the first 20 elements.

Key

Questions from text: Q10, Q11, Q13

Beyond the 1st 20

The order of filling the shells and subshells
Electrons usually occupy the lowest
energy subshells in an atom.
As the shells move away from the nucleus
they get closer to each other. In some
cases the subshells of one shell are higher
in energy than subshells of the next shell.
The order of subshell energies is:
1s < 2s < 2p < 3s < 3p < 4s < 3d < 4p < 5s <
4d < 5p < 6s < 4f < 5d

Subshell energy levels & Filling

order

Just follow the rules

Applying

all the rules above, we can now

write electron configurations for atoms of
any element.

You

are required to be able to do this for

elements up to element 30, zinc.

Ground state Versus Excited

State
When

atoms are in their ground state,

electrons fill the subshells from the lowest
energy level first.

If

an atom is excited the electron

configuration has electrons in higher
energy levels and empty orbitals in the
lower levels.

Questions
Write

the electron configurations for a

calcium atom, chlorine atom, aluminium
ion and nitride ion.
Which one or more of the following
electron configurations are for an atom in
its excited state?
(a) 1s22s22p63s1
(b) 1s22s22p63s13p4
(c) 1s22s22p63s 23p64s2
(d) 1s22s22p63s23p63d24s1

Subshells and the Periodic

Table

Within the periodic table the various blocks are named

according to the subshells which are being filled in that
section.
Block

Sub-shell filling

Special group names

s -block

s - subshells

I alkaline metals
II alkaline earth metals

p - block

p - subshells

VII halogens
VIII noble gases

d - block

d - subshells

all called transition metals

f -block

f - subshells

4f row: lanthanides
5f row: actinides