How to Write Electron Configurations for Atoms of Any Element You might be required to write the electron configuration

of an atom on a chemistry test, but it's easier than it seems. Here's how to get started. Steps 1. 1 Determine the number of electrons in the atom. The atomic number (on the periodic table) is the number of protons of the atom, and thus equals the number of electrons in an atom with zero charge. If you're working with a charged atom, add or subtract electrons accordingly. For instance a sodium atom with a negative one charge would have another electron in addition to the atomic number of 11, making 12 electrons. 2 Memorize the basic list of orbitals. Once you know the order of orbitals, you can simply fill them according to the number of electrons in the atom. o The s orbital set (any number 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. o The p orbital set contains 3 orbitals, and thus can hold a total of 6 electrons. o The d orbital set contains 5 orbitals, so it can hold 10 electrons. o The f orbital set contains 7 orbitals, so it can hold 14 electrons. o 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 4s is lower energy (or less potentially volatile) than a partially-filled or filled 3d , so the 4s shell is listed first. 3. 3 Put one electron into the highest energy orbital available, starting with 1s (holds a maximum of two electrons). Be careful! Do not fill the orbitals in the order shown in the chart! Fill the orbitals in this order (the number following the orbital set is the maximum number of electrons it can hold): o 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s 4d 5p 6s 4f 5d 6p 7s 5f 6d 7p o Note that the above list, if all the shells were filled, would be the electron configuration for Uuo (ununoctium), 118, the highest-numbered atom on the periodic table - so this electron configuration contains every currently known electron shell for a neutrally charged atom. o 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 fourth energy level, you'll move onto the 5th where it follows the order once again. This only happens after the 3rd energy level. 4. 4 Fill in the orbitals according to the number of electrons in the atom. Alternative Method There is an alternative method of writing electron configurations that requires neither memorization, nor mnemonic diagram. However, it requires rearranged periodic table, because in traditional periodic table, beginning with fourth row, period numbers do not correspond to the electron shells.
2 10 2 2 6 2 6 2 10 6 2 10 6 2 14 10 6 2 14 10 6

2.

In ADOMAH Periodic Table, designed by V. Tsimmerman, horizontal rows represent groups of elements, such as halogens, inert gases, alkali metals, alkaline earths, etc. Vertical columns correspond to electron shells and so called cascades correspond to periods (when diagonal lines connecting s,p,d and f blocks are followed). Helium is moved to Hydrogen, since both of them are characterized by the electrons which are located in the same orbital. Blocks of periods (s,p,d and f) are shown on the right side and shell numbers are shown at the base. Elements are presented in rectangular boxes that are numbered from 1 to 120. Those numbers are called atomic numbers that also represent total number of electrons in a neutral atom. This arrangement makes writing electron configurations very simple: 1. 1 ( To write electron configuration of an element, find its symbol in ADOMAH Periodic Table and cross out all elements that have higher atomic numbers. For example, if you need to write electron configuration of Erbium (68), cross out elements 69 through 120. Notice numbers 1 through 8 at the base of the table. Those are electron shell numbers, or column numbers. Ignore columns which contain only crossed out elements. For Erbium remaining columns are 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. 2. 2

3.

4.

Looking at the block symbols shown on the right side of the table (s, p, d, and f) and at the column numbers shown at the base and ignoring diagonal lines between the blocks, break up columns into column-blocks and list them in order from the bottom up. Again, ignore column blocks where all elements are crossed out. Write down the column-blocks beginning with the column number followed by the block symbol, like this: 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 3d 4s 4p 4d 4f 5s 5p 6s (in case of Erbium). See note below.* 3 Count elements that were not crossed out in each block-column and write down their quantity next to the block symbols for each block-column, like this: 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 3d 4s 4p 4d 4f 5s 5p 6s . That is the electron configuration of Erbium. (See note below).* 4 There are eighteen common exceptions to electron configurations for atoms in the lowest energy state, also called the ground state. They deviate from the general rule only by last two-to-three electron positions. Here they are: Cr (..., 3d5, 4s1); Cu (..., 3d10, 4s1); Nb (..., 4d4, 5s1); Mo (..., 4d5, 5s1); Ru (..., 4d7, 5s1); Rh (..., 4d8, 5s1); Pd (..., 4d10, 5s0); Ag (..., 4d10, 5s1); La (..., 5d1, 6s2); Ce (..., 4f1, 5d1, 6s2); Gd (..., 4f7, 5d1, 6s2); Au (..., 5d10, 6s1); Ac (..., 6d1, 7s2); Th (..., 6d2, 7s2); Pa (..., 5f2, 6d1, 7s2); U (..., 5f3, 6d1, 7s2); Np (..., 5f4, 6d1, 7s2) and Cm (..., 5f7, 6d1, 7s2). Note: The above electron configuration of Er is written in the order of ascending shell numbers. It could also be written in the order of orbital filling. Just follow cascades from top to bottom instead of columns when you write down the column-blocks: 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s 4d 5p 6s 4f .
2 2 6 2 6 10 2 6 10 12 2 6 2 2 2 6 2 6 2 10 6 2 10 6 2 12

Tips

The number following the letter is actually superscript, so do not make that mistake on a test. To find the atomic number of the atom when it is in electron configuration form, just add up all of the numbers that follow the letters (s, p, d, and f). There are two different ways to write electron configurations. They can be written in the order of ascending shell numbers, or in the order of orbital filling, as presented above for Erbium. Writing long electron configurations can be avoided by writing them in their noble gas configurations. Using an electron configuration that is written in the order of orbital filling, find the last symbol containing p6 (such as 3p or 5p ) and add up all of the numbers following the letters of every symbol before and including the p6 orbital set. Then, using the sum of the numbers, locate the element with the atomic number equal to the sum you just calculated. It should appear at the very right of the periodic table. That's called a noble gas. Now, just remove all of the symbols that you added up and put in the noble gas' symbol in brackets. So, for an antimony atom, the noble gas configuration would be [Kr] 5s 4d 5p . Notice that you don't add up the 5s and 4d because they are after 4p , which you do add. You can also write an element's electron configuration by just writing the valence configuration, which is the last s and p orbital set. So, the valence configuration of an antimony atom would be 5s 5p . When the atom is an ion, it means that the number of protons does not equal the number of electrons. The charge of the atom will them be displayed at the top right (usually) corner of the chemical symbol. So, an antimony atom with charge +2 has an electron configuration of 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s 4d 5p . Notice that the 5p changed into a 5p . Be careful when the configuration of an uncharged atom ends in anything but an s and p orbital set. When you take away electrons, you can only take them away from the valence orbitals (the s and p orbitals). So, if a configuration ends in 4s 3d , and the atom gains a charge of +2, then the configuration would change to end with 4s 3d . Notice that 3d does not change, instead, the s orbital electrons are lost. There are circumstances when an electron needs to be "promoted." When an orbital set is one electron away from being half occupied or completely occupied, remove one electron from the nearest s or p orbital set and move it to the orbital set that needs the electron. Every atom desires to be stable, and the most stable configurations have full s and p (s2 and p6) orbital sets. The noble gases have this configuration, which is why they are rarely reactive and are on the right side of the periodic table. So, if a configuration ends in 3p , it only needs two more electrons to become stable (losing six, including the s orbital set's electrons, takes more energy, so losing four is easier). And if a configuration ends in 4d , it only needs to lose three electrons to reach a stable state. Also, half filled shells (s1, p3, d5..) are more stable then, for example p4 or p2; however, s2 and p6 will be even more stable. Ions aren't the same. They're much harder. Skip two levels and follow the same pattern depending on where you started depending on how high or how low the number of electrons is.
6 6 2 10 3 2 10 6 2 3 2 2 6 2 6 2 10 6 2 10 1 3 1 2 7 0 7 7 4 3

There is no such thing as the "stability of a half-filled" sublevel. It is an oversimplification. Any stability relating to "half-filled" sublevels is due to the fact that each orbital is singly occupied, thus electron-electron repulsions are minimized.

Electronic Configurations We have highlighted your search term electron configuration of fe3 for you. If you'd like to remove the search term, click here. The electron configuration of an atom is the representation of the arrangement of electrons that are distributed among the orbital shells and subshells. Commonly, the electron configuration is used to describe the orbitals of an atom in its ground state, but it can also be used to represent an atom that has ionized into a cation or anion by compensating with the loss of or gain of electrons in their subsequent orbitals. Many of the physical and chemical properties of elements can be correlated to their unique electron configurations. The valence electrons, electrons on the outer most shell, become the determining factor for the unique Introduction Before we begin assigning the electrons of an atom into orbitals, we must first familiarize ourselves with the basic concepts needed to become fluent in electron configurations. Every element on the periodic table consists of an atom which is composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. In these situations, we are concerned with the electrons. Electrons exhibit a negative charge and are found around within the nucleus of the atom. Electron orbitals are the position of the electrons around the nucleus and is determined as the volume of space in which the electron can be found within 95% probability. The four different types of orbitals s,p,d, and f have different shapes and one orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons. The p, d, and f orbitals have different sublevels unlike the s orbital and thus can hold more electrons. Each of the these subshells can hold a different number of maxium number of electrons. As stated, the electron configuration of each element is unique to its position on the periodic table. The energy level is determined by the period and amount of electrons by the atomic number of the element. Orbitals on different energy levels are similar to each other, but they occupy different areas in space. The 1s orbital and 2s orbital both have the characteristics of an s orbital (radial nodes, spherical volume probabilities, can only hold two electrons, etc.) but as they are found in different energy levels they occupy different spaces around the nucleus. Each orbital can be represented by specific blocks on the periodic table. The s-block is the region of the Alkali metals including Helium (groups 1 & 2), the d-block is the Transition metals (groups 3 to 12), the p-block are the main group elements from group 13 to 18, and the f-block are the Lanthanides and Actinides series.

Using the periodic table to determine the electron configurations of atoms is key, but also keep in mind that there are certain rules to follow when assigning electrons to different orbitals. The periodic table is an incredibly helpful tool in writing electron configurations. For more information on how electron configurations and the periodic table are linked, visit the Connecting Electrons to the Periodic Table module. Rules for Assigning Electron Orbitals

Occupation of Orbitals
The first thing to keep in mind is that electrons fill orbitals in a way to minimize the energy of the atom. This would mean that the electrons in an atom would fill the principal energy levels in order of increasing energy (the electrons are getting farther from the nucleus). The order of levels filled would look like this:

1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, and 7p
One way to remember this pattern, probably the easiest, is to refer to the periodic table and remember where each orbital block falls to logically deduce this pattern. Another way is to make a table like the one below and use vertical lines to determine which subshells correspond to each other.

Pauli Exclusion Principle

The second major fact to keep in mind is the Pauli Exclusion Principle which states that no two electrons can have the same four quantum numbers. The first three (n,l, and m ) may be similar but the fourth quantum number must be different. We are aware that in one orbital a maximum of two electrons can be found and the two electrons must have opposing spins. That means one would spin up ( +1/2) and the other would spin down (-1/2). This tells us that each subshell has double the electrons per orbital. The s subshell has 1 orbital that can hold to 2 electrons, the p subsheel has 3 orbitals that can hold up to 6 electrons, the d subshell has 5 oribtals that hold up to 10 electrons, and the f subshell has 7 oribtals with 14 electrons.
l

Example
We have the first three quantum numbers n=1, l=0, m =0. Only two electrons can correspond to these, which would be either m = -1/2 or m = +1/2. As we already know from our studies of quantum numbers and electron orbitals, we can conclude that these four quantum numbers refer to 1s subshell. If only one of the m values are given then we would have 1s (denoting Hydrogen) if both are given we would have 1s (denoting Helium). Visually this would be represented as:
l s s s 1 2

As you can see, the 1s subshell can hold only two electrons and when filled the electrons have opposite spins.

Hund's Rule
When assigning electrons in orbitals, each electron will first fill all the orbitals with similar energy (also referred to as degenerate) before pairing with another electron in a half-filled orbital. Atoms at ground states tend to have as many unpaired electrons as possible. When visualizing this processes, think about how electrons are exhibiting the same

behavior as the same poles on a magnet would if they came into contact; as the negatively charged electrons fill orbitals they first try to get as far as possible from each other before having to pair up.

Example
If we look at the correct electron configuration of Nitrogen (Z = 7), a very important element in the biology of plants: 1s 2s 2p
2 2 3

We can clearly see that p orbitals are half filled as there are three electrons and three p orbitals. This is because Hund's Rule states that the three electrons in the 2p subshell will fill all the empty orbitals first before filling orbitals with electrons in them. If we look at the element after Nitrogen in the same period, Oxygen (Z = 8) its electron configuration is: 1s 2s 2p
2 2 4

Oxygen has one more electron than Nitrogen and as the orbitals are all half filled the electron must pair up.

The Aufbau Process

Aufbau comes from the German word "Aufbauen" which means "to build". When writing electron configurations, we are building up electron orbitals as we proceed from atom to atom. As we write the electron configuration for an atom, we will fill the orbitals in order of increasing atomic number. However, there are some exceptions to this rule.

Example
If we follow the pattern across a period from B (Z=5) to Ne (Z=10) the number of electrons increase and the subshells are filled. Here we are focusing on the p subshell in which as we move towards Ne, the p subshell becomes filled. B (Z=5) configuration: 1s 2s 2p C (Z=6) configuration:1s 2s 2p N (Z=7) configuration:1s 2s 2p O (Z=8) configuration:1s 2s 2p F (Z=9) configuration:1s 2s 2p Ne (Z=10) configuration:1s 2s 2p
2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 4 2 2 5 2 2 6

Exceptions
While Aufbau process is an accurate in determining the electron configuration of most elements, there are some notable exceptions that occur within the transition metals and heavier elements. The reason these exceptions occur is because some elements are more stable with less electrons in some subshells and more electrons within others. A list of the exceptions to the Aufbau process can be found below. Exceptions to Electron Configuration Trends Period 5: Niobium: Z:41 [Kr] 5s 4d Molybdenum: Z:42 [Kr] 5s 4d Ruthenium: Z:44 [Kr] 5s 4d Rhodium: Z:45 [Kr] 5s 4d Palladium: Z:46 [Kr] 4d Silver: Z:47 [Kr] 5s 4d
1 4 1 1 7 1 8 10 1 10

Period 4: Chromium: Z:24 [Ar] 3d 4s Copper: Z:27 [Ar] 3d 4s

5 10 1

Period 6: Lanthanum: Z:57 [Xe] 6s 5d Cerium: Z:58 [Xe] 6s 4f 5d Gadolinium: Z:64 [Xe] 6s 4f 5d Platinum: Z:78 [Xe] 6s 4f 5d
2 1 2 1 1 2 7 1 14 9

Period 7: Actinium: Z:89 [Rn] 7s 6d Thorium: Z:90 [Rn] 7s 6d Protactium: Z:91 [Rn] 7s 5f 6d Uranium: Z:92 [Rn] 7s 5f 6d
2 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 1

Gold: Z:79 [Xe] 6s 4f 5d

14

10

Neptunium: Z:93 [Rn] 7s 5f 6d Curium: Z:96 [Rn] 7s 5f 6d Lawrencium: Z:103 [Rn] 7s 5f 7p

2 2 1 2 14

Writing Electron Configurations When writing the electron configuration we first write the energy level (the period) then the subshell to be filled and the superscript, which is the number of electrons in that subshell. The total number of electrons as mentioned before is the atomic number, Z. Using the rules from above, we can now start writing the electron configurations for all the elements in the periodic table.

Methods
There are three main methods used to write electron configurations: orbital diagrams, spdf notation, and noble gas notation. Each method has its own purpose and each has its own drawbacks. Orbital Diagrams As seen in some examples above, the orbital diagram is a visual way to reconstruct the electron configuration by showing each of the separate orbitals and the spins on the electrons. This is done by first determining the subshell (s,p,d, or f) then drawing in each electron according to the stated rules above.

Example
Electron configuration for aluminum. We known that aluminum is in the 3rd period and it has an atomic number of Z=13. If we look at the periodic table we can see that its in the p-block as it is in group 13. Now we shall look at the orbitals it will fill: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p. We know that aluminum completely fills the 1s, 2s, 2p, and 3s orbitals because mathematically this would be 2+2+6+2=12. The last electron is in the 3p orbital. Also another way of thinking about it is that as you move from each orbital block, the subshells become filled as you complete each section of the orbital in the period. The block that the atom is in (in the case for aluminum: 3p) is where we will count to get the number of electrons in the last subshell (for aluminum this would be one electron because its the first element in the period 3 pblock). From this we can construct the following:

Note that in the orbital diagram, the two opposing spins of the electron can be seen. This is why it is sometimes useful to think about electron configuration in terms of the diagram. But because it is the most time consuming method, it is more common to write or see electron configurations in the spdf notation and noble gas notation. Another example is the electron configuration of iridium:

The electron configuration of iridium is much longer than aluminum. Though drawing out each orbital may prove to be helpful in determining unpaired electrons, its very time consuming and often not as practical as the spdf notation especially in the case of atoms with much longer configurations. The Hund's Rule is also present above as each electron fills up each 5d orbital before being forced to pair with another electron. Electron Notation using spdf The most common way to describe electron configurations is to write distributions in the spdf notation. Though, the distributions of electrons in each orbital may not be seen as in the diagram, the total number of electrons in each

energy level is described by a superscript that follows the relating energy level. To write the electron configuration of an atom, we will first describe which energy level we are referring to and write the number of electrons in the energy level as its superscript like this: 1s This denotes a full s orbital and would refer to the electron configuration of helium. As usual, we will use the periodic table as a reference to accurately write the electron configurations of all atoms.
2

Example
First we will start with a straight forward problem, finding the electron configuration of the element Yttrium. As always we will refer to our periodic table. The element Yttrium (symbolized as Y) is found in the fifth period and in group 3 making it a transition metal. In total it has thirty-nine electrons. Its electron configuration would be: 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s 4d This is a much simpler and efficient way to portray electron configuration of an atom. A logical way of thinking about it is that all we have to do is to fill orbitals as we move across a period and through orbital blocks. We know that the amount of elements in each block is the same as in the energy level it corresponds. For example, there are 2 elements in the s-block, and 10 elements in the d-block. As we move across we simply count how many elements fall in each block. We know that yttrium is the first element in the fourth period d-block, thus this corresponds to one electron in the that energy level. To check our answer we would just add all the superscripts to see if we get the atomic number. In this case 2+2+6+2+6+2+10+6+2+1= 39 and Z=39 thus we have the correct answer.
2 2 6 2 6 2 10 6 2 1

A slightly more complicated example is the electron configuration of bismuth (symbolized as Bi with Z = 83). Looking at our periodic table we can get the following electron configuration: 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s 4d 5p 6s 4f 5d 6p The reason why this electron configuration would seem to be more complex is because we must go through the fblock, the Lanthanid series. Most students who first learn electron configurations often have trouble with configurations that must pass through the f-block because they often overlook this break in the table and will skip that energy level. Its important to remember that when passing the 5d and 6d energy levels that we must pass through the fblock Lanthaniod and Actiniod series. If we keep this in mind, this "complex" problem will seem like second nature. Another way (but less commonly used) to write the spdf notation is the expanded notation format. Its basically the same concept except that each individual orbital is represented with a subscript. We know that in the p, d, and f orbitals have different sublevels. The p orbitals are px py pz and if represented on the 2p energy with full orbitals would look like: 2p 2p 2p . If we look at the expanded notation for neon (Ne, Z=10) it would look like the following: 1s 2s 2p 2p 2p The individual orbitals are represented here but the spins on the electrons are not; we assume opposite spins. When representing the configuration of an atom with half filled orbitals we would just write the two half filled orbitals. For carbon the expanded notation would look like the following: 1s 2s 2p 2p As this is form of the spdf notation is not usually used, its not as important to dwell on this detail as it is to understand how to use the general spdf notation. Noble Gas Notation This brings up an interesting point about elements and electron configurations. As the p subshell is filled in the above example about the Aufbau Principal (trend from boron to neon), it reaches the group commonly known as the noble gases. The noble gases have the most stable electron configurations (as all their subshells are filled) and are known for being relatively inert. We can conclude from this that all noble gases have their subshells filled and we can used them as a short hand way of writing electron configurations for subsequent atoms. This method of writing configurations is called the noble gas notation in which the noble gas in the period above the element that is being analyzed is used to denote the subshells that element has filled and after which the valence electrons (electrons filling orbitals in the outer most shells) are written. We will write this notation slightly different than the spdf notation because we must denote our reference noble gas being used.
2 2 6 2 6 2 10 6 2 10 6 2 14 10 3 2 2 x y 2 z 2 2 2 2 x y 2 z 2 2 1 x y1

Example
Vanadium (V, Z=23) lies in the transition metals at the four period in the fifth group. The noble gas before it is argon, (Ar, Z=18) and knowing that vanadium has filled those orbitals before it, we will use argon as our reference noble gas. We denote the noble gas in the configuration as the symbol, E, in brackets: [E] Now, to find the valance electrons that follow, we will simply do some simple math by subtracting the atomic numbers: 23 - 18 = 5 Now instead of having 23 electrons to distribute in orbitals, we have 5. Now we have enough information to write the electron configuration: Vanadium, V: [Ar] 4s 3d This method streamlines the process of distributing electrons by showing the valence electron which are determinants in the chemical properties of atoms. Also, when determining the number of unpaired electrons in an atom, this
2 3

method will allow us to quickly visualize the configurations of the valance electrons. In the example above, we clearly see that we have a full s orbital and three half filled d orbitals.

Electron Configurations of Ions Writing electron configurations for ions, whether it be cation or anion, is basically exactly the same as writing them for normal elements. All the same rules apply, except you must take into account the gained or lost electrons. For instance, when Potassium (K) loses an electron it becomes K and has the noble gas configuration of [Ar]. K ([Ar]4s ) K ([Ar]) + e Therefore, the electron configuration for the K ion is simply [Ar]. When an atom, such as Chlorine (Cl) gains an electron, it becomes Cl and also has the electron configuration of [Ar]. Cl ([Ne]3s 3p ) + e Cl ([Ar]) Yet again, the electron configuration is [Ar] For more complex ionic electron configurations, such as an ion from the transition metals, the answer isn't always a noble gas. Take Iron (Fe). The most common irons for Iron are Fe and Fe . Lets focus on Fe . Fe ([Ar]3d 4s ) Fe ([Ar]3d ) - 2e
+ 1 + + 2 5 2+ 3+ 2+ 6 2 2+ 6 -

Here Iron loses two electrons. So thats two less electrons to fill orbitals. When you backtrack two electrons in Fe's original electron configuration you get

[Ar]3d as Fe 's

2+

new configuration When writing the electron configuration for ions, treat it like any normal element. Just remember to simply add or subtract the gained or lost electrons when filling out shells.