Electron Configuration

[Christian Velazquez 2B]

When given the element and asked to find it's full electron configuration, what are tips to understand it and solve them?

ex: what is the full electron configuration for Aluminium ( AI)

[Alex 3C]

Hi, looking at the periodic table is the best way to do it.

Looking at the example you provided, Al, you essentially move left to right across the periodic table, which has been designed so that lower shells of electron are filled up until you get to the higher energy electron at higher levels. For Al, we have 1s^2 (shell 1, subshell s, both orbitals filled) then 2s^2 (lithium and beryllium make up this section) 2p^6 (Boron through Neon) 3s^2 then 3p^1 (since Aluminum is the first element on the 3p subshell).


https://youtu.be/NIwcDnFjj98?si=HENDjCj-LRnsyEMs

[Ai-Tan La 1K]

The easiest way to understand electron configuration is to memorize where the s, p, and d block are. The s block will be on the left side of the periodic table with the two collums corresponding to s1 and s2. The right side of the periodic table would be the p block with the collums corresponding to p1-p6 respectively. And the middle of the periodic table would be the d block with the collums corresponding to d1-d10 respectively. Each row of the periodic table corresponds to the corresponding number in front of the orbital letter So for the electron configuration of Al would be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1, or [Ne] 3s2 3p1.

[Amanda Walker 3I]

When given the element and asked to find it's full electron configuration, what are tips to understand it and solve them?
Hello,
Some rules that you must following when writing electron configuration:

Pauli Exclusion Principle: No more than 2 e- per orbital (state)

Hund’s Rule: Due to e- repulsion, e- in same subshell occupy different orbitals with parallel spin (lowest energy).

When finding the full electron configuration you should use the building - Up Principle (Aufbau Principle)

Look at the number of electrons per element on the periodic table, and move from the s - block, to the p -block, and/or the d - block and move down by the energy level; (n = 1, 2, 3, 4....)

The periodic table contains s blocks, p blocks, d blocks and f blocks.

When you are in the s block, the max number of electrons you can have is 2 electrons because the s subshell has one orbital (each orbital has 2 electrons).
You then move to the p block, where the max number of electrons is 6. This is because p has 3 orbitals.
You continue to go down and across the periodic table as you do heavier elements.

Example: Al: 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^1

[Michelle 1E]

To start you have to find how many electrons the element has, and the amount of electrons are the same as the amount of protons. the orbits have to be filled up before you can move onto the next one. The 2 orbital can hold 2 electrons, p can hold 6 electrons, d can hold 10 and f can hold 14.
Ex: Al is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1

[Miyown Meeks 2F]

Hello,
Electron number can be determined by the atomic number on the periodic table. Aluminum for example has an atomic number of 13, so when doing electron configuration you would want the numbers from your electron configuration to add up to the atomic number. Memorizing the electron configuration chart would help a lot for doing this problems because you can just draw the chart and it will tell you the order that orbitals get filled, hope this helps.