Physical Science

The electron configuration of an atom shows the number of electrons in each sublevel in each energy level of the ground-state atom. To determine the electron configuration of a particular atom, start at the nucleus and add electrons one by one until the number of electrons equals the number of protons in the nucleus.

 

Each added electron is assigned to the lowest-energy sublevel available. The first sublevel filled will be the 1s sublevel, then the 2s sublevel, the 2p sublevel, the 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, and so on.

 

This electronic configurations helps us to understand how chemical reactions work in our body and the forming of compounds.

 

PAULI TRIANGLE

 

Electrons fill orbitals in a way to minimize the energy of the atom. Therefore, the electrons in an atom fill the principal energy levels in order of increasing energy (the electrons are getting farther from the nucleus). The order of levels filled looks like this: 

1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, and 7p