Week 2 Saibal Singh Inorganic chem 3001

Electron Configurations:
Aufbau Principle Hund’s Rule of Maximum Pauli’s Exclusion Principle
Multiplicity

“Building up” of electrons Electrons are placed in Each electron in an atom

from continually increasing
quantum numbers
orbitals to give maximum
total spin possible (the
maximum number of parallel
spins)
possess a unique set of
quantum numbers (at least
one quantum number must
be different from those of
every other electron).

Spin Multiplicity: number of unpair electrons plus one, or n + 1

Number of microstates:
𝑁𝑙 !
𝑁=
𝑥! (𝑁𝑙 − 𝑥)!
Where N = number of microstates, 𝑁𝑙 = 2(2𝑙 + 1), 𝑥 = number of unpaired electrons in
the given orbital.

1. What is the condensed electron configuration of Sc2+? What is the spin multiplicity of
the 3d electrons in this cation?

2. How many total electrons in an atom can have these sets of quantum numbers?

n = 2, l = 1, ml = -1

3. How many microstates are there for the electronic configuration of a Pd in PdCl2?
Week 2 Saibal Singh Inorganic chem 3001

4. Below is an orbital filling diagram for the valence electrons of a +3 transition metal
cation. Identify the four quantum numbers for the “boxed-in” electron. What is the
transition metal?