Brief Instructions

An electron configuration is a method of indicating the arrangement of electrons about a nucleus. A typical electron configuration consists of numbers, letters and superscripts with the following format:

1.  A number indicates the energy level ( The number called the principal quantum number.)

2.  A letter indicates the type of orbital; s, p, d, f.

3.  A superscript indicates the number of electrons in the orbital. Example 1s2 means that there are two electrons n the “s” orbital of the first energy level. The element is helium.

To write an electron configuration:

1.  Determine the total number of electrons to be represented.

2.  Use the Aufbau process to fill the orbitals with electrons. The Aufbau process requires that electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first. In another words, atoms ae built from the ground upwards.

3.  The sum of the superscripts should equal the total number of electrons.

Example: Mg (12 electrons) – 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2

Configuration Writing Practice:

Write a ground state electron configuration for each neutral atom. Ground state means that all of the lowest possible energy levels (up to the proper number of electrons for the element) are filled.

1.  Na

2.  Pb

3.  Sr

4.  U

5.  N

6.  Ag

7.  Ti

8.  Ce

9.  Cl

10.  Hg

If each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons, how many electrons can each of the following hold?

2s orbitals ______5p orbitals ______4f orbitals ______3d orbitals ______4d orbitals ______

How many S orbitals can there be in an energy level? ______

How many electrons can occupy an s orbital? ______

How many p orbitals can there be in an energy level? ______

Which is the lowest energy level that can have a s orbital? ______

Which is the lowest energy level that can have a p orbital? ______

How many d orbitals can there be in an energy level? ______

How many d electrons can there be in an energy level? ______

Which is the lowest energy level having d orbitals? ______

How many f electrons can there be in an energy level? ______

Which is the lowest energy level having f orbitals? ______

How many f orbitals can there be in an energy level? ______

How many energy levels are partially of fully occupied in a neutral atom of calcium? ______

Which sublevels of the 3rd energy level are filled?

a.  in the element argon______

b.  in the element krypton. ______

For the following elements list the complete electron configuration.

1.  Oxygen

2.  Cesium

3.  Krypton

4.  Titanium

5.  Scandium

6.  Nitrogen

7.  Chlorine

8.  Fluorine

9.  Copper

10.  Mercury

For the following elements list the shorthand (noble gas) electron configuration.

1.  Boron

2.  Cadmium

3.  Phosphorus

4.  Neon

5.  Radon

6.  Iodine

7.  Iron

8.  Bromine

9.  Strontium

10.  Nickel

Write a ground state electron configuration for these ions. Remember that ions have a change in the total number of electrons (positive ions have lost electrons and negative ions have gained electrons).

1.  O2-

2.  Fe2+

3.  B3+

4.  Ni2+

5.  K+

Define:

·  Crest –

·  Wave –

·  Amplitude -

·  Wavelength -

What is the electromagnetic spectrum?

-

For each of the following wavelengths of visible light, determine the frequency and identify the region (color) of the electromagnetic spectrum to which it belongs. (The velocity(speed) of light is 3.00 x 108 m/s) ν=cλ

a. 2.0 x 10 -14 m b. 4.0 x 10 -9 m

c. 6.0 x 10 -7 d. 1.00 m

For each of the following frequencies of visible light, determine the wavelength, and identify the color of light associated with each frequency. λ=cν

a. 3.0 x 10 14 Hz b. 5.0 x 10 9 Hz

c. 7.0 x 10 7 d. 2.5 x 10 19 s-

A Chemist is using radiation with a wavelength of 6 x 10-9m.

a.  What is the frequency of this radiation in Hz?

b.  Identify this radiation as red, blue, infrared, ultraviolet, and so on.

c.  Calculate the energy in J for one photon of this radiation. Plank’s constant (h) is 6.626 x 10-34 J *sE=h ν

Writing Electron and Orbital Configurations and Electron Dot structures

1. Selenium (Example)

Symbol / Atomic # / Total number of e- / # of Valence e-
Se / 34 / 34 / 6 (4s2 4p4)

Complete Electron Configuration

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p4

Abbreviated (Noble Gas) Electron Configuration

[Ar] 4s2 3d10 4p4

Orbital Configuration

1s2 / 2s2 / 2p6 / 3s2 / 3p6 / 4s2 / 3d10 / 4p6
­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­¯ / ­ / ­

2. Chlorine

Element / Atomic # / Total number of e- / # of Valence e-

Complete Electron Configuration

Abbreviated (Noble Gas) Electron Configuration

Orbital Configuration

3. Calcium

Element / Atomic # / Total number of e- / # of Valence e-

Complete Electron Configuration

Abbreviated (Noble Gas) Electron Configuration

Orbital Configuration

4. Nitrogen

Element / Atomic # / Total number of e- / # of Valence e-

Complete Electron Configuration

Abbreviated (Noble Gas) Electron Configuration

Orbital Configuration

5. Krypton

Element / Atomic # / Total number of e- / # of Valence e-

Complete Electron Configuration

Abbreviated (Noble Gas) Electron Configuration

Orbital Configuration

6. Sodium

Element / Atomic # / Total number of e- / # of Valence e-

Complete Electron Configuration

Abbreviated (Noble Gas) Electron Configuration

Orbital Configuration