Electron Configuration Basics

Front

What is the Aufbau Principle?

Back

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

Front

What does Hund's Rule state?

Back

Hund's Rule states that a single electron occupies each orbital within a subshell before electrons begin pairing.

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.

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.

Front

What is an electron configuration?

Back

An electron configuration is the distribution of electrons among the various orbitals of an atom.

Front

What is the significance of the 1s, 2s, 2p notation in electron configurations?

Back

The notation indicates the energy level (1, 2) and the type of orbital (s, p) where electrons are found.

Front

How many electrons can the p subshell hold?

Back

The p subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons.

Front

What is the difference between a subshell and an orbital?

Back

A subshell is a group of orbitals with the same energy level, while an orbital is a specific region within a subshell where an electron is likely to be found.

Front

What is the electron configuration for Magnesium?

Back

The electron configuration for Magnesium is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s².

Front

What does an orbital diagram represent?

Back

An orbital diagram visually represents the arrangement of electrons in an atom's orbitals.