1. Chapter 5 Electrons In Atoms 5.2 Electron Arrangement in Atoms
5.1 Revising the Atomic Model
5.2 Electron Arrangement
in Atoms
5.3 Atomic Emission Spectra and
the Quantum Mechanical Model
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2. Electron Configurations
The ways in which electrons are arranged in various orbitals around the nuclei of atoms are called electron configurations.
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3. Electron Configurations
Three rules—the aufbau principle, the Pauli exclusion principle, and Hund’s rule—tell you how to find the electron configurations of atoms.
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4. Electron Configurations
Aufbau Principle
According to the aufbau principle, electrons occupy the orbitals of lowest energy first. In the aufbau diagram, each box represents an atomic orbital.
Increasing energy 6s 5s 4s 3s 2s 1s 6p 5p 5d 4p 4d 4f 3p 3d 2p
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5. Electron Configurations
Aufbau Principle
Increasing energy 6s 5s 4s 3s 2s 1s 6p 5p 5d 4p 4d 4f 3p 3d 2p
The aufbau diagram shows the relative energy levels of the various atomic orbitals. Orbitals of greater energy are higher on the diagram.
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6. Electron Configurations
Aufbau Principle
Increasing energy 6s 5s 4s 3s 2s 1s 6p 5p 5d 4p 4d 4f 3p 3d 2p
The range of energy levels within a principal energy level can overlap the energy levels of another principal level.
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7. Electron Configurations
Pauli Exclusion Principle
According to the Pauli exclusion principle, an atomic orbital may describe at most two electrons.
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8. Electron Configurations
Pauli Exclusion Principle
According to the Pauli exclusion principle, an atomic orbital may describe at most two electrons.
To occupy the same orbital, two electrons must have opposite spins; that is, the electron spins must be paired.
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9. Electron Configurations
Pauli Exclusion Principle
Spin is a quantum mechanical property of electrons and may be thought of as clockwise or counterclockwise.
A vertical arrow indicates an electron and its direction of spin ( or ).
An orbital containing paired electrons is written as .
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10. Electron Configurations
Hund’s Rule
According to Hund’s rule, electrons occupy orbitals of the same energy in a way that makes the number of electrons with the same spin direction as large as possible.
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11. Electron Configurations
Hund’s Rule
Three electrons would occupy three orbitals of equal energy as follows.
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12. Electron Configurations
Hund’s Rule
Three electrons would occupy three orbitals of equal energy as follows.
Electrons then occupy each orbital so that their spins are paired with the first electron in the orbital.
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13. Electron Configurations
Let’s look at the orbital filling diagram of the oxygen atom.
Electron Configurations of Selected Elements
Element 1s 2s
2px 2py 2pz 3s
Electron configuration H
1s1 He
1s2 Li
1s22s1 C
1s22s22p2 N
1s22s22p3 O
1s22s22p4 F
1s22s22p5 Ne
1s22s22p6 Na
1s22s22p63s1
An oxygen atom contains eight electrons.
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14. Electron Configurations
Look at the orbital filling diagram of the oxygen atom.
Electron Configurations of Selected Elements
Element 1s 2s
2px 2py 2pz 3s
Electron configuration H
1s1 He
1s2 Li
1s22s1 C
1s22s22p2 N
1s22s22p3 O
1s22s22p4 F
1s22s22p5 Ne
1s22s22p6 Na
1s22s22p63s1
Each of the three 2p orbitals has one electron. The remaining electron now pairs with an electron occupying one of the 2p orbitals.
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15. Electron Configurations
A convenient shorthand method for showing the electron configuration of an atom involves writing the energy level and the symbol for every sublevel occupied by an electron.
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16. Electron Configurations
A convenient shorthand method for showing the electron configuration of an atom involves writing the energy level and the symbol for every sublevel occupied by an electron.
You indicate the number of electrons occupying that sublevel with a superscript.
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17. Electron Configurations
For hydrogen, with one electron in a 1s orbital, the electron configuration is written 1s1.
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18. Electron Configurations
For hydrogen, with one electron in a 1s orbital, the electron configuration is written 1s1.
For oxygen, with two electrons in a 1s orbital, two electrons in a 2s orbital, and four electrons in 2p orbitals, the electron configuration is 1s22s22p4.
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19. Electron Configurations
For hydrogen, with one electron in a 1s orbital, the electron configuration is written 1s1.
For oxygen, with two electrons in a 1s orbital, two electrons in a 2s orbital, and four electrons in 2p orbitals, the electron configuration is 1s22s22p4.
Note that the sum of the superscripts equals the number of electrons in the atom.
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20. CHEMISTRY & YOU
Explain why the correct electron configuration of oxygen is 1s22s22p4 and not 1s22s22p33s1.
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21. CHEMISTRY & YOU
Explain why the correct electron configuration of oxygen is 1s22s22p4 and not 1s22s22p33s1.
The 2p orbitals are lower in energy than the 3s orbital, so they will be completely filled before any electrons will be found in the 3s orbital.
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22. Writing Electron Configurations
Sample Problem 5.1
Writing Electron Configurations
The atomic number of phosphorus is 15. Write the electron configuration of a phosphorus atom.
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23. Solve Apply the concepts to this problem.
Sample Problem 5.1
Solve Apply the concepts to this problem. 2
Write the electron configuration.
The electron configuration of phosphorus is 1s22s22p63s23p3.
The superscripts add up to the number of electrons.
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24. Electron Configurations
Exceptional Electron Configurations
You can obtain correct electron configurations for the elements up to vanadium (atomic number 23) by following the aufbau diagram for orbital filling.
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25. Electron Configurations
Exceptional Electron Configurations
You can obtain correct electron configurations for the elements up to vanadium (atomic number 23) by following the aufbau diagram for orbital filling.
If you were to continue in that fashion, however, you would assign chromium and copper the following incorrect configurations.
Cr 1s22s22p63s23p63d44s2
Cu 1s22s22p63s23p63d94s2
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26. Electron Configurations
Exceptional Electron Configurations
The correct electron configurations are as follows:
Cr 1s22s22p63s23p63d54s1
Cu 1s22s22p63s23p63d104s1
These arrangements give chromium a half-filled d sublevel and copper a filled d sublevel.
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27. Electron Configurations
Exceptional Electron Configurations
Some actual electron configurations differ from those assigned using the aufbau principle because although half-filled sublevels are not as stable as filled sublevels, they are more stable than other configurations.
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28. What is the correct electron configuration of a sulfur atom?
A. 1s22s22p43s23p6
B. 1s22s22p63s23p3
C. 1s22s22p63s23p4
D. 1s22s22p63s63p2
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29. What is the correct electron configuration of a sulfur atom?
A. 1s22s22p43s23p6
B. 1s22s22p63s23p3
C. 1s22s22p63s23p4
D. 1s22s22p63s63p2
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