Electron Configuration and Orbital Notation

Front

What is electron configuration?

Back

The distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals, indicating the energy levels and sublevels occupied by electrons.

Front

What is the Aufbau principle?

Back

A rule stating that electrons occupy the lowest energy orbitals first before filling higher energy levels.

Front

What is Hund's rule?

Back

Electrons will fill degenerate orbitals (orbitals of the same energy) singly before pairing up.

Front

What is the Pauli Exclusion Principle?

Back

No two electrons in an atom can have the same set of four quantum numbers; thus, an orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons with opposite spins.

Front

What is the significance of the quantum numbers?

Back

Quantum numbers describe the properties of atomic orbitals and the electrons in those orbitals, including their energy, shape, and orientation.

Front

What is the electron configuration for Neon (Ne)?

Back

1s² 2s² 2p⁶

Front

How do you determine the number of valence electrons in an atom?

Back

The number of valence electrons is determined by the outermost shell's electron configuration.

Front

What is the electron configuration for Iron (Fe)?

Back

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d⁶

Front

What is an orbital diagram?

Back

A visual representation of the electron configuration of an atom, showing the distribution of electrons in orbitals.

Front

What is the electron configuration for an ion?

Back

The electron configuration of an ion is adjusted based on the gain or loss of electrons; for example, Na⁺ has the configuration 1s² 2s² 2p⁶.