How to do electron configuration
Answers
Answer:
1
Find your atom's atomic number. Each atom has a specific number of electrons associated with it.
2
Memorize the basic list of orbitals. As an atom gains electrons, they fill different orbitals sets according to a specific order. Each set of orbitals, when full, contains an even number of electrons. The orbital sets are:
The s orbital set (any number in the electron configuration followed by an "s") contains a single orbital, and by Pauli's Exclusion Principle, a single orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so each s orbital set can hold 2 electrons.
The p orbital set contains 3 orbitals, and thus can hold a total of 6 electrons.
The d orbital set contains 5 orbitals, so it can hold 10 electrons.
The f orbital set contains 7 orbitals, so it can hold 14 electrons.
The g, h, i and k orbital sets are theoretical. No known atoms have electrons in any of these orbitals. The g set has 9 orbitals, so it could theoretically contain 18 electrons. The h set would have 11 orbitals and a maximum of 22 electrons, the i set would have 13 orbitals and a maximum of 26 electrons, and the k set would have 15 orbitals and a maximum of 30 electrons.
Remember the order of the letters with this mnemonic:[1]Sober Physicists Don't Find Giraffes Hiding In Kitchens.
3
Understand electron configuration notation. Electron configurations are written so as to clearly display the number of electrons in the atom as well as the number of electrons in each orbital. Each orbital is written in sequence, with the number of electrons in each orbital written in superscript to the right of the orbital name. The final electron configuration is a single string of orbital names and superscripts.
4
Memorize the order of the orbitals. Note that orbital sets are numbered by electron shell, but ordered in terms of energy. For instance, a filled 4s2 is lower energy (or less potentially volatile) than a partially-filled or filled 3d10, so the 4s shell is listed first. Once you know the order of orbitals, you can simply fill them according to the number of electrons in the atom. The order for filling orbitals is as follows: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p, 8s.
5
Fill in the orbitals according to the number of electrons in your atom. For instance, if we want to write an electron configuration for an uncharged calcium atom, we'll begin by finding its atomic number on the periodic table. Its atomic number is 20, so we'll write a configuration for an atom with 20 electrons according to the order above.
Fill up orbitals according to the order above until you reach 20 total electrons. The 1s orbital gets 2 electrons, the 2s gets 2, the 2p gets 6, the 3s gets 2, the 3p gets 6, and the 4s gets 2 (2 + 2 + 6 +2 +6 + 2 = 20.) Thus, the electron configuration for calcium is: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2.
Note: Energy level changes as you go up. For example, when you are about to go up to the 4th energy level, it becomes 4s first, then 3d. After the 4th energy level, you'll move onto the 5th where it follows the order once again (5s, then 4d). This only happens after the 3rd energy level.
6
Use the periodic table as a visual shortcut. You may have already noticed that the shape of the periodic table corresponds to the order of orbital sets in electron configurations. For example, atoms in the second column from the left always end in "s2", atoms at the far right of the skinny middle portion always end in "d10," etc. Use the periodic table as a visual guide to write configurations – the order that you add electrons to orbitals corresponds to your position in the table.
If this answer is helpful, please mark it as the brainliest:)
Explanation: