AIM: How do we describe the organization of electrons in

an atom? (9/25)
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Do Now:
1. Where are electrons located?

2. How can you tell how many electrons are in an atom?

*Take out wksht 1.6 to be checked*

Announcements
• Read Ch 3.3, 4, and 5 of textbook

• Pre-lab #2 Fri pd.1 and 7

Electron..Where are they?
• Plum Pudding & Rutherford Models
• Bohr Model/Planetary Model
• Wave Mechanical Model
The Bohr Model is used more
• Although the wave mechanical model is the most
accurate model of the atom, the Bohr model is
used most commonly in depictions of the atom

• Why do you think this might be?

Electron Orbitals
• Electrons are not randomly placed within the atom
• Electrons are organized into various orbitals/shells
around the nucleus
• Each electron orbital has a certain capacity or # of
electrons that it can hold
• Electrons ALWAYS fill into an atom from the inside
out
• 4 Major Orbitals: 1 – 4
• Abbreviated by the letter “n”
• Each holds a specific # of electrons
• There are more than 4 “n levels” in an atom
• n = 1 is the orbital that is closest to the nucleus and
fills FIRST
• Once n = 1 is full, n=2 begins to fill until it reaches
capacity
• Once n = 2 is full, n = 3 begins to fill until is reaches
capacity….AND SO ON
Each orbital can hold:
• n = 1; Up to 2 electrons
• n = 2; Up to 8 electrons
• n = 3; Up to 18 electrons
• n = 4; Up to 32 electrons
• Principle energy capacity = 2n2

*Your job to memorize orbital capacity*

Drawing Flourine
Ex) FLUORINE – Atomic #9
• How many protons does Fluorine have?
• How many electrons does a neutral atom of
Fluorine have?
Electron orbitals/n levels
• Also called “principal energy levels”
• This is because each orbital/shell/n level has a
specific energy associated with it
• The orbital closest to the nucleus has the LOWEST
energy and is often called the GROUND STATE
• The orbital farthest from the nucleus has the
HIGHEST energy
• The outermost orbital of an atom is called its
VALENCE orbital or VALENCE shell
• It is the orbital that is farthest from the nucleus
that contains electrons
• Atoms “prefer” to have a FULL outermost orbital –
meaning filled with electrons
• Octet Rule: Atoms always desire to have 8
electrons in their outermost (valence) shell
• Most atoms have less than 8 electrons in their
outermost shell
• The closer an atom is to having 8 electrons, the more
chemically reactive the element
• Look at electron configuration on periodic table
• Shows electron #, shells, and valence electrons
• What can you predict about an element’s chemical
reactivity if it naturally has 8 electrons in its valence
shell?
So Atoms will:
• Lose electron(s)
• Gain electron(s)
• Or Share electron(s)
• ALL TO END UP WITH 8 ELECTRONS IN THEIR
VALENCE ORBITALS!
• **If an atom loses or gains any amount of
electrons, it will become an ION.
• Q. How does the octet rule explain why ions form?
Draw Bohr model and complete chart
To Become An Ion and how energy changes
• Energy must be absorbed to remove an electron from
an atom and turn it into a positive ion
• Energy is released when an electron is gained by an
atom to turn it into a negative ion
• HOW CAN WE EXPLAIN THE ABOVE 2 STATEMENTS?
• Energy INCREASES when something unfavorable or un-
preferred occurs
• Ex: two oppositely charged particles are pulled away from
each other
• ENERGY DECREASES when something favorable or
preferred occurs
• Ex: two oppositely charged particles are moved toward one
another
What Else Can Electrons Do?
• Electrons can move from one orbital to another IF
the new orbital is not already full
• Enough energy has to be absorbed to move it to a
higher energy orbital, but not so much that it exits
the atom entirely
• The energy required to move an electron from one
orbital to another is different for each orbital
transition AND each atom
• BRIGHT LINE SPECTRUM OR EMISSION SPECTRUM: A
specific pattern of emitted light that is produced and is
specific to the atoms of particular elements.
Light and energy
• Ground state – electron at its lowest energy level
(follows electron configuration)
• Excited state – an electron which has gained energy
and moved to higher energy level; releases
light/energy to “fall back” down to ground state
(doesn’t follow electron config)
 Flame tests (SAT II)
metal flame test
color
barium pale green
calcium yellow-red
copper green-blue
lithium red
sodium orange
potassium lilac
Shapes of Electron Orbitals
Sublevel and Orbitals
• S orbital: 1 orbital, 2 electrons
• P orbital: 3 orbitals, 6 electrons
• D orbital: 5 orbitals, 10 electrons
• F orbital: 7 orbitals, 14 electrons

• Ex. Electron configuration of He, C, and O