Exploring Electron Configuration and Atomic Structure

Paul Anderson explains electron configurations, focusing on the distribution of electrons in atoms and ions. He discusses ionization energy, Coulomb's law, and the shielding effect of core electrons. The video covers patterns in ionization energy across elements and explains shells, subshells, and orbitals. Examples of electron configurations for elements like hydrogen, helium, and lithium are provided, along with a method to write configurations without a periodic table. The video concludes with a summary of key learnings.

What is electron configuration primarily concerned with?

• The distribution of neutrons in an atom

• The distribution of protons in an atom

• The distribution of ions in an atom

• The distribution of electrons in an atom

What does ionization energy measure?

• The energy required to add an electron to an atom

• The energy required to remove an electron from an atom

• The energy required to add a proton to an atom

• The energy required to remove a neutron from an atom

According to Coulomb's law, what two factors determine the force between a proton and an electron?

• The speed and the distance between them

• The volume and the distance between them

• The mass and the distance between them

• The charges and the distance between them

Which element has a higher ionization energy, hydrogen or helium, and why?

• Hydrogen, because it has fewer protons

• Helium, because it has more protons

• Hydrogen, because it has more electrons

• Helium, because it has fewer electrons

What effect does the shielding of inner electrons have on the ionization energy of outer electrons?

• It decreases the ionization energy

• It makes the ionization energy unpredictable

• It has no effect on the ionization energy

• It increases the ionization energy

What is the relationship between shells, subshells, and orbitals?

• Subshells contain shells, which contain orbitals

• Orbitals contain subshells, which contain shells

• Shells contain subshells, which contain orbitals

• Shells contain orbitals, which contain subshells

How many electrons can a single orbital hold?

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 1

What is the electron configuration of hydrogen?

• 1s1

• 1s2

• 2s1

• 2s2

What is the electron configuration of neon?

• 1s2 2s2 2p6

• 1s2 2s2 2p5

• 1s2 2s2 2p4

• 1s2 2s2 2p3

What is the abbreviated electron configuration for sodium?

• [Kr] 5s1

• [Ar] 4s1

• [Ne] 3s1

• [He] 2s2 2p6 3s1