Electron Configurations & Orbital Notation

Front

What is an electron configuration?

Back

An electron configuration is the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals, indicating how many electrons occupy each energy level and sublevel.

Front

What does the Aufbau principle state?

Back

The Aufbau principle states that electrons occupy the lowest energy orbitals first before filling higher energy orbitals.

Front

What is the Pauli Exclusion Principle?

Back

The Pauli Exclusion Principle states that no two electrons in an atom can have the same set of four quantum numbers, meaning that two electrons in the same orbital must have opposite spins.

Front

What is Hund's Rule?

Back

Hund's Rule states that electrons will fill degenerate orbitals (orbitals of the same energy) singly before pairing up in the same orbital.

Front

What is an orbital diagram?

Back

An orbital diagram is a visual representation of the electron configuration of an atom, showing the distribution of electrons in orbitals.

Front

What does the notation [Ar] 4s² 3d⁵ represent?

Back

This notation represents the electron configuration of manganese, indicating that it has 25 electrons with the specified distribution.

Front

What is the significance of the noble gas notation in electron configurations?

Back

Noble gas notation simplifies electron configurations by using the electron configuration of the nearest noble gas to represent core electrons, making it easier to write and read.

Front

What is the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single orbital?

Back

A single orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, which must have opposite spins.

Front

What is the difference between a principal energy level and a sublevel?

Back

A principal energy level is a major energy level in an atom, while a sublevel is a subdivision of a principal energy level, containing orbitals of the same energy.

Front

What is the role of quantum numbers in electron configurations?

Back

Quantum numbers describe the properties of atomic orbitals and the electrons in those orbitals, including their energy level, shape, orientation, and spin.