Electron Configuration Electron Configuration is a way of describing every electron in an atom

How far electrons are away from the nucleus. To identify where an electron is in an atom you have to know how far it is out from the nucleus. Energy level – is the distance out from the nucleus of an atom that contains electrons

Energy Levels -The circles drawn on a Bohr model that hold electrons represent energy levels -The row on the periodic table also represents how many energy levels are present in an atom

Within the Energy Levels Inside of an energy level, you will find electrons. Electrons occupy areas of space called Orbitals - you can think of orbitals as homes for electrons or the area where electrons spend most of their time - each orbital can hold two electrons maximum - each electron sharing an orbital must have an opposite spin

Sections of the Periodic Table -Light blue is S -Purple is P -Green is D -Gray is F

Orbital Electron orbitals come in different shapes depending on what electrons live in them. -Electrons that come from the “s” section of the periodic table live in spherical homes

Orbitals Electrons that come from the p section in the periodic table live in figure “8’s” or dumbbell shaped homes Since the p section on the periodic table is 6 electrons wide, there are three different dumbbell shaped homes (each on the x, y, and z axis)

Orbitals Electrons from the d section of the periodic table live in more complex shaped homes - since the d section is 10 electrons wide, there are 5 d orbitals that contain those 10 electrons

Orbitals Electrons from the f section of the periodic table live in more complex shaped homes - since the f section is 14 electrons wide, there are 7 d orbitals that contain those 14 electrons

Layering As you go down the periodic table you are adding more energy levels (or space for electrons) this means that the 1s orbitals is a smaller orbital than the 2s orbital.

Writing Electron Configurations The closer an electron is to the nucleus the more it will be controlled by the nucleus’ opposite charge. This makes these electrons of lower energy than electrons farther from the nucleus.

Writing Electron Configurations The electron configuration for Mg. 1.State the energy level that the first electrons are found in. 1 2.State the shape of the orbital those first electrons live in. S 3.State how many electrons live in that section. 2 4.Repeat this for all 12 electrons in Mg 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 6 4s 2

Different Ways of Writing Electron Configurations For the element Ge Electron Configuration: 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 6 4s 2 3d 10 4p 2 Kernel Notation: [Ar] 4s 2 3d 10 4p 2 Line Notation: Dot Notation:

Stable Electrons When electrons fill an atom from the nucleus outward all the electrons are in the lowest energy possible. This is called Ground State If heat is given to the atom then electrons might jump out to a orbital that should not be occupied yet then the atom is in the Excited State

Light When electrons jump from the excited state back to the ground state they give off light. When each element does this it give off a specific color of light different from every other element.