6.5 Intro Lesson to Electron Configurations

​Topic 6.5 Intro to Electron Configurations

Take notes as you go and use the notes to answer the questions

Electron configurations show the location (energy level and type of orbital) for all electrons

Think of them as an address for each electron in an atom or ion

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What is an electron configuation?

The number and location of a particle's electrons relate to many chemical and physical properties of the atom/ion

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Why are chemists
concerned with the
location of an atom/ions electrons?

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An electron configuration details the ​

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of an elements ​

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. The location of electrons helps to explain many ​

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of elements. An electron configuration is like an ​

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for all of an elements electrons.

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location

electrons

chemical and physifal properties

address

protons

neutrons

optical

• There are 7 principle energy levels/shells (think of energy levels as rings around the nucleus)

• Principle energy level 1 is closest to the nucleus

• Principle energy level 7 is furthest from the nuclues

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​Principle Energy Levels "n" range from 1-7
(principle energy levels are also referred to as "shells")

• Each of the 7 Principle Energy Levels relates to one the 7 periods on the
  Periodic table.

• If an element is located on the 4th period of the periodic table then it will true that the element's valence electrons are on the 4th energy level.

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Energy Levels and the Periodic Table

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The element helium is on the ​

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of the periodic table therefore, the element helium's valence electrons are on the ​

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. The element lithium is on the ​

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of the periodic table therefore, the element lithium's valence electrons are on the ​

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. The principal energy level of an element's valence electrons are located on is ​

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the elements period number on the periodic table.

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2nd period

2nd principle energy level

1st principle energy level

the same as

different than 

3rd principle energy level

3 

3rd period 

1st period

Categorize

Options (11)

hydrogen

helium

lithium

beryllium

nitrogen

sodium

silicon

chlorine

potassium

bromine

copper

Organize these options into the right categories

valence electrons on the 1st E Level

valence electrons on the 2nd E Level

valence electrons on theb3rd E Level

valence electrons on the 4th E Level

Electrons on lower energy levels have less energy than electrons on higher energy levels.

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​Energy Levels/shells and the energy of an electron

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Chlorine has valence electrons on the ​

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whereas fluorine has valence electrons on the ​

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. Chlorine's valence electrons are on a​

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energy level and thus have ​

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. As electrons move closer to the nucleus they have ​​

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energy.

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third energy level

2nd energy level

higher

more energy.

less

more

less energy

Recall,

group #'s = the # of valence electrons

​Ex. Calcium = group 2 = 2 valance electrons
Oxyen = group 6 = 6 valence electrons

Group # and Valence Electrons

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In terms of valence electrons, we have learned that group #'s are equal to the ​

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and the period number for an element on the periodic table is the same as the ​

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. Therefore, the element with 4 valence electrons on the 2nd energy level is ​

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and the element with 2 valence electrons on the 4th energy level is ​

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whereas ​

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has 6 valence on the 3rd energy level.

Categorize

Options (11)

1 valence electron

valence electron located on 4th energy level

alkali metal

2 valence electrons

valence electrons located on 3rd energy level

alkaline earth metal

7 valence electrons

valence electrons located on 5th energy levle

halogen

5 valence electrons

electrons located on 2nd energy level

Organize these options into the right categories

potassium

magnesium

iodine

nitrogen

There are 4 types of "subshells"
and they are the s, p, d and f subshells. Each is different in it's shape as seen to the left.

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Subshells

Think of subshells as regions in space on energy levels that electrons can be found.

S shell = 1 orbital
P shell = 3 orbitals
D shell = 5 orbitals
F shell = 7 orbitals

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​Different shells (s,p,d and f) have different numbers of orbitals (orbitals are probable regions where electrons are to be found)

S shell = 1 orbital = 2 electrons max
P shell = 3 orbitals = 6 electrons max
D shell = 5 orbitals = 10 electrons max
F shell = 7 orbitals = 14 electrons max

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Each orbital can hold
a maximum of 2
electrons

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There are a total of ​

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of subshells. Each subshell is different in it's ​

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. The subshells are ​

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Each subshell contains a different number of ​

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and each orbital can hold a maximum of ​

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.

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4 types

shape

s, p, d, and f

orbitals

2 electrons

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The "s" subshell contains ​

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orbital and can hold a maximum of ​

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. The "p" subshell contains ​

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orbitals and can hold a maximum of ​

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.

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one

2 electrons

3

6 electrons

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The "d" subshell contains ​ ​

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orbitals and can hold a maximum of ​

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and the "f" subshell contains ​

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orbitals and can hold a maximum of ​

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. There are a maximum of ​

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per orbital.

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5

10 electrons

7

14 electrons

2 electrons

• When you look at the periodic table there are 4 main "blocks". These are called the
  s-block, p-block, d-block, and f-block

• Notice that Helium is considered an s-block element

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s, p, d, and f orbitals and the periodic table

Match

Match the following

• s block element

• p block element

• d block element

• f block element

sodium

atomic number 11

bromine

atomic number 35

copper

atomic number 29

uranium

atomic number 92

• sodium

  atomic number 11

• bromine

  atomic number 35

• copper

  atomic number 29

• uranium

  atomic number 92

Categorize

Options (4)

1 orbital, 2 electrons max

3 orbitals, 6 electrons max

5 orbitals, 10 electrons max

7 orbitals 14 electrons max

Organize these options into the right categories

s subshell

p subshell

d subshell

f subshell

Notice ....

The "s block" contains 2 groups (columns) and the "s subshell" holds 2 electrons max

The "p block" contains 6 groups (columns) and the "p subshell" holds 6 electrons max

Look closely at the picture on the left

The "d block" contains 10 groups (columns)
and the "d subshell" holds 10 electrons max


The "f block" contains 14 groups (columns)
and the "f subshell" holds 14 electrons max

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Look closely at the picture on the left

• Notice the each horizontal line is numbered "n"= 1-7

• Notice that for the "d block" the "n" value has gone down by 1 (n-1) but in the "p block" it has gone back up

• the 4th period reads: 4s, 3d, 4p
  

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Look closely at the picture on the left

• The left bottom is the electron configuration for Lithium.

• We can see that there are 2 electrons in "s" orbitals on the 1st energy level (1s² ) and

• there is 1 electron in the "s" orbital on the second energy level (2s¹ )

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Electron Configuration for Lithium

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The electron configuration for nitrogen is 1s² 2s² 2p³ . From this we can see that on the second energy level both ​

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are being used and on the 1st energy level​

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are being used. There are a total of ​

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in s orbitals and a total of ​

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electrons in p orbitals. The total number of electrons is ​

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.

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The electron configuration for oxygen is 1s² 2s² 2p⁴ . The highest energy level present is the ​

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, there are a total of ​

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electrons in the 2nd energy level, therefore, oxygen has six ​

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.

Go to the top left of the periodic table and let's read it like a book (from left to right across a period; read along with me) as I use the periodic table to determine the order in which electrons fill orbitals:

1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p etc.

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Periodic Table and Electron Configurations

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Using the periodic table and reading it like a book complete the following sentences: Electrons first fill the 1s orbitals, then the 2s orbitals, the the ​ 2p orbitals followed by the . ​

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, ​

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, ​

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, ​

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and then the ​

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orbitals.

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3s

3p

4s

3d

4p

Reorder

Order the following in terms of how electrons fill orbitals (put them in order using the periodic table; go to the 4th row, s block and read across. put these in the order you would read them)

• 4s

• 3d

• 4p

• 5s

• 4d

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5