The arrangement of ELECTRONS in Atoms

 Arrangement of electrons in atoms nowadays is

based on the Quantum Theory following the solution
of Schrodinger equation which gave wave function 2
known as ORBITAL

ORBITAL = an area the most probable to find the

electron in atom

4 quantum numbers were resolved from the equation

n = principle quantum no. Value: 1,2,3…, relates to energy

l = subsidiary quantum no, , (n-1), value : 0,1,2 3, (s, p, d,
f…orbital) relates to energy and shape of the orbital
ml = magnetic quantum no. showing orientation of the orbital.
Value : -l, -(I-1), (I-2)…0, (I-2), (l-1), l.
ms = spin quantum no. Value : +1/2, -1/2

Resulting the following orbitals

1s
2s 2p
3s 3p 3d
4s 4p 4d 4f
5s 5p 5d 5f 5g
6s 6p 6d 6f 6g 6h

Eg.
List down a set of 4 quantum no. of 4s orbital
n=4, l=2, ml = 2,1,0,1,2 , ms=1/2
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 Electronic configuration of atom
Electron arrangement in the atom must follow
1. Pauli exclusion principle
No two electrons in the same atom can have the same
values for all four quantum numbers
2. Aufbau
Electrons must fill the orbital having the lowest energy first
before entering the next energy level orbitals
3. Hund
To fill the electrons in the degenerate orbitals (orbital having
the same energy), the electrons must fill in each orbital singly
before being paired with electrons with the opposite spins.
The electronic configuration of atom from Na -Zn

4 Quntum numbers Max e in Max e in Z Electronic Conf. Of atom in their

n l ml ms each l n ground states
½ Na: 1s 2s 2p6 3s1
2 2
0 0 2s 11
electrons 12 Mg: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2
1 1 ½ 13 Al: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1
14 Si: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2
6p
0 ½ 15 P: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2
electrons
16 3p3 S: 1s2 2s2 2p6
-1 ½ 17 3s2 3p4
18 Cl: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p5
Ar: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6
3 18
2 ½ 21 Sc: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d1 4s2
22 Ti: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d2 4s2
1 ½ 23 V: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d3 4s2
24 Cr: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d5 4s1
0 ½ 10 d 25 Mg: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d5 4s2
2
electrons 26 Fe: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d6 4s2
-1 ½ 27 Co: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d7 4s2
28 Ni: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d8 4s2
-2 ½ 29 Cu: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d10 4s1
30 Zn: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 3d10 4s2
4 2s 2 19 K: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 4s1
0 0 ½
electrons 20 Ca: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 4s2

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Ionization Energy (IE)
The energy required to remove an electron completely from an
atom of an element – 1st IE

Energy require to remove completely the 2nd electron from singly

charge ion, -2nd IE

and so on

K(g)  K+(g) + e- 1st IE = 418 kJ mol-1

K+(g)  K2+(g) + e- 2nd IE = 3070 kJ mol-

1
Notice that the large value for the 2nd IE is due to the

difficulty

 to ionize a positively charged atom.

 to ionize an ion which already reached octet state (stable

state) or electron configuration of noble gases

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 The 1st Ionization Energy vs atomic number of the first 20
elements

2600 He
Ne
2200
1st ionization energy (kJ mol-1)

1800
F
1600
N Cl

1200
H O P
C
Be
800 Mg S
Si Mg
B
Al
400
Li Na
K
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Atomic number

 Noble gases occupy peak position while Group IA metals at

the bottom of the graph

 Pronounce increase of IE from Li-->Ne with slight break at B

and O due to the half full and full orbital stabilization effect

 Sharp decrease of IE from noble gases to Group IA metals

due to the removal of an electron occupying outer shell
further away from the nucleus




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


The successive ionization energies (log value) of K atom

6.0

5.0
Log (IE/ (kJ mol-1)

N- shell
4.0 (1 e-)
K shell
(2 e-)
L- shell
3.0 (18 e-)
M- shell
(8 e-)

2.0

1.0

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
No of ionization

 Clear cut increases in IE when 2nd, 10th and 18 electrons are

involved - K atom surrounded by 4 shells

Shells K L M N
Nucleus, 19p,20n 2 8 8 1

 Large increase in IE for the removal of 2nd, 10th and 18th

electrons suggest that 2nd e- is closer to nucleus than 1st
e. Similarly 10th and 18th electrons.

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