Electron Orbital Stuff (1 Viewer)

[Dreamerish*~]

Can anyone explain to me how the electron orbital configuration stuff works? The 2p² 1s³ ... etc? (I just made that up) I thought I'd ask the student I'm tutoring today ... but it doesn't seem fair for him to pay me for teaching me.

My school never taught us, and I thought I'd never need it. I was very wrong.

 

[Riviet]

Just did a quick search on Wikipedia for you and it came up with this.

 

[XcarvengerX]

Some easy examples for you:
¹H = 1s^1
2He = 1s^2
3Li = 1s² + 2s^1
4Be = 1s² + 2s^2
5B = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^1
6C = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^2
7N = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^3
8O = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^4
9F = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^5
10Ne = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^6
11Na = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s^1
12Mg = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s^2
13Al = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^1
14Si = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^2
15P = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^3
16S = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^4
17Cl = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^5
18Ar = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^6
19K = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p⁶ + 4s^1
20Ca = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p⁶ + 4s²

Are you getting this? I hope so.
For more complex examples, see Wikipedia that Riviet has linked for you.

 

[Dreamerish*~]

Ohh, I get it now! That's not so bad.

My lecturer made them sound so hard.

Thanks a lot for your help! You too, Riviet.

 

[sikeveo]

Some easy examples for you:
¹H = 1s^1
2He = 1s^2
3Li = 1s² + 2s^1
4Be = 1s² + 2s^2
5B = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^1
6C = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^2
7N = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^3
8O = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^4
9F = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^5
10Ne = 1s² + 2s² + 2p^6
11Na = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s^1
12Mg = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s^2
13Al = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^1
14Si = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^2
15P = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^3
16S = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^4
17Cl = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^5
18Ar = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p^6
19K = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p⁶ + 4s^1
20Ca = 1s² + 2s² + 2p⁶ + 3s² + 3p⁶ + 4s²

Are you getting this? I hope so.
For more complex examples, see Wikipedia that Riviet has linked for you.

They should actually be using a noble gas at the front to shorten the whole thing. Makes it much easier.

 

[mitochondria]

Some easy examples for you:
1H = 1s¹
2He = 1s²
3Li = 1s² + 2s¹
4Be = 1s² + 2s²
5B = 1s² + 2s² + 2p²

Just a note due to fussiness on the notation: we don't usually write electronic structures with + signs in between the orbitals.

Ohh, I get it now! That's not so bad...

Taking this a little further down the periodic table, you might also want to take note of the electronic structures of of Chromium and Coppper. If you follow the filling order, the EC you will get for Cr is:

Cr = [Ar] 4s² 3d⁴ ; and
Cu = [Ar] 4s² 3d⁹

However, there is also a rule (can't remember whose rule ) that says when the d orbital is half-filled or fully-filled the 3d orbital becomes lower in energy than the 4s orbital. In the case of Cr and Cu, one electron will "drop" from the 4s orbital to the 3d orbital, giving you:

Cr = [Ar] 4s¹ 3d⁵ -------> half-filled 3d orbital (two half filled orbitals)
Cu = [Ar] 4s¹ 3d¹⁰ ----------> fully-filled 3d orbital (a half filled 4s and fully-filled 3d)

Now you might be tempted to ask: what about Vanadium and Nickle?

Well, the same thing does not happen to those two elements. The 4s and 3d orbitals don't have a big difference in energy. It turns out that leaving everything just as it is is more favourable energy-wise.

Why am I telling you these? EC for Cr and Cu (along with Fe²⁺ and other ions that are isoelectronic to Cr and Cu) are common exam questions

Have fun!

Edited