General

Chemistry 1 11
General Chemistry 1 – Grade 11
Quarter 2 – Module 1: Electron Configuration and Orbital Diagram
First Edition, 2020

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 General
Chemistry 1 11
Quarter 2
Self-Learning Module 1
Electron Configuration and Orbital
Diagram
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Chemistry 1 Self-Learning Module 1 on Electron Configuration

and Orbital Diagram

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed and

reviewed by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its
Officer-in-Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A.
Agustin, in partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor,
Honorable Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in
developing this instructional resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
 For the Learner:

Welcome to the Chemistry 1 Self-Learning Module 1 on Electron Configuration

and Orbital Diagram

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest – This measures how much you have learned from the
 EXPECTATIONS

The module is about the electron configuration of an atom and its orbital
diagram. After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. write the electron configuration of an atom
2. draw an orbital diagram to represent the electronic configuration of atoms
3. recognize the importance of orbital diagram and electronic configuration of
atoms.

PRETEST

1. The electron configuration of an atom with an atomic number of 15 is __________.

a. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s3 3p2 c. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4
b. 1s 2s 2p 3s 3p
2 2 6 2 3 d. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p5

2. Which of the following is a configuration of an element found in Group 2 of the

periodic table?
a. 1s2 2s2 2p5 c. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1
b. 1s 2s 2p 3s
2 2 6 1 d. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2

3. What is the atomic number of an atom with the following electron configuration:
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d4?
a. 4 c. 20
b. 18 d. 24

4. Which of the following represents the orbital diagram of 4d 5 configuration?

a. c.

b. d.

5. Which of the following correctly represents the orbital diagram of Na? (atomic
number = 11)
a. c.

b. d.
 RECAP

Draw the representation of an atom using the Bohr Model and the Schrodinger’s
Model.

Based on the past discussions about atomic models, how did the Bohr’s Model and
Schrodinger’s Model explain the location of electrons outside the nucleus?

LESSON

The number of electrons and how these are arranged in an atom can be used
to determine the chemical properties of an atom. These are usually dependent on the
atom’s number of valence electrons.

In the electron cloud model, we learn that electrons are arranged outside the
nucleus of an atom in a compartmentalized way. We can visualize this
compartmentalization using an apartment building. The whole building is the atom,
the floors of the building represents the energy levels, the individual rooms or the
apartment in each floor represent the orbitals while the occupants serve as the
electrons.
 Similarly, chemists also devise a way to arrange the electrons of an atom. A
representation used by chemist to denote how electrons are distributed outside the
nucleus of an atom is called electron configuration.

The following is an example of this notation:

There are rules to consider in writing the electron configuration of an atom. These
are:

1. Aufbau Principle

The orbitals are arranged in order of increasing energy based on the principal
energy levels and the sublevels where they are in. The relative energies of these
orbitals are determined by the values of the following n+l rule. (“n” refers to the energy
level while “l” refers to the sublevels with the following numeric values: s=0, p=1,
d=2, f=3). The higher the value of n+l, the higher the energy of the orbital. At the
same time, for orbitals with the same value for n+l, the orbital with the lower value
for n has a lower relative energy. To visualize how these orbitals are arranged
according to this principle, you can use the electron configuration mnemonics by
following the arrows: from the tail end of the first arrow down to its head then to the
tail of the second arrows down to its head and so on.

2. Pauli’s Exclusion Principle

It states that no two electrons in an atom can have the same set of four
quantum numbers. This means no atomic orbital can contain more than TWO
electrons and these electrons must be of opposite spin if they are to form a pair within
an orbital.

3. Hund’s Rule

The most stable arrangement of electrons is one with the maximum number of
unpaired electrons. This minimized the electron-electron repulsions and stabilizes
the atom. Imagine having three dogs and three individual cages. The most ideal way
to cage these dogs to minimize quarrels between the dogs is to place each dog in one
of the cages.

To write the electron configurations and orbital diagrams successfully, you

must formulate a plan of attack and learn the following relationship: each main
energy level has n sublevels, where n equals the number of the energy level. (for 5 th
energy level and above, there are four sublevels available). These sublevels contain a
number of orbitals which can hold a pair of electrons in each orbital. This
relationship can be summarized in the following table:

Example:
Write the electron configuration of the element sulfur and draw its orbital diagram.

Step 1: Determine the number of electrons in the atom that needs to be distributed.
In this case, sulfur has 16 electrons because its atomic number is 16.

Step 2: Bearing in mind Aufbau principle, look at the electron configuration

mnemonics and proceed to distribute the electrons in the lower energy level first
before moving on to the next. Keep in mind also the maximum number of electrons
in each sublevel. The sum of the superscripts must be equal to the number of
electrons of the atom. Doing that, you will arrive with the following answer:
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4

Step 3: Take in the individual configurations and draw its equivalent orbital diagram.
In drawing the diagram, bear in mind the Hund’s and Pauli’s Exclusion Principles.
You can do this in a more organize way by using a table.

Electron Configuration Orbital Diagram

1s2 ↑↓
2s2 ↑↓
2p6 ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑↓
3s2 ↑↓
3p4 ↑↓ ↑ ↑

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 1
TRUE or FALSE. Read the statements below. Write TRUE if the statement is
correct, otherwise, write FALSE.
1. Electron configuration distributes the valence electrons of an atom.
2. The coefficient of a configuration denotes the energy level where the electron
is found.
3. In the configuration, 4p3, this means that there are 3 electrons in the p-
sublevel of the 4th energy level.
4. According to Aufbau principle, 2p sublevel should be filled first before 2s.
5. The electron configuration mnemonics guides us on how to fill the sublevels
according to Aufbau principle.
6. It is possible to have three electrons with different spins in one orbital.
7. Hund’s rule state that you can already pair electrons in an orbital even
though there are still orbitals that are unoccupied.
8. In the second energy level, there are two sublevels available: s and p
sublevels
9. The d-sublevel can accommodate a maximum of 10 electrons in its orbitals.
10. Electrons start to occupy the f-sublevel in the 4th energy level of the atom.
ACTIVITY 2
Write the electron configuration of the following elements. After that, using the table
presented in the examples, draw the orbital diagram of each element.

1. Neon
2. Potassium
3. Cobalt
4. Bromine
5. Cerium

WRAP–UP

Writing the electron configuration and drawing the orbital diagram of an atom
requires you to follow at least three principles. Can you summarize the statements
under these principles?

1. Aufbau Principle
2. Hund’s Rule
3. Pauli’s Exclusion Principle

VALUING

Following simple set of rules and principles can help us achieve something greater
in life. During this time of pandemic, our government imposed some regulations that
must be followed for us to comply with the minimum health standard set by the
Department of Health. Provide at least three of these rules and reflect on how often
you follow or violate these rules.
 POST TEST

1. Which of the following is a noble gas configuration?

a. 1s2 2s2 2p3 c. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4
b. 1s 2s 2p
2 2 5 d. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6

2. An element was found to have the following numbers of subatomic particles

inside the nucleus: 8 protons and 8 neutrons. What is the electron configuration of
this element in its neutral state?
a. 1s2 2s2 c. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4
b. 1s2 2s2 2p4 d. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2

3. What is the atomic number of an atom with the following electron configuration:
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1?
a. 4 c. 19
b. 15 d. 25

4. Which of the following represents the orbital diagram in ground state of an atom
with 7 electrons?
a. c.

b. d.

5. The f-sublevel has seven orbitals. Which of the following represents how seven
electrons must be filled in the orbitals of the f-sublevel?
a. c.

b. d.
 KEY TO CORRECTION

Pre-Test
1. B 2. D 3. D 4. C 5. B

Recap

Activity 1
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. T
6. F 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. T

Activity 2

Post Test
1. D 2. B 3. C 4. C 5. A
 REFERENCES
Ilao, Luciano V., Lontoc, Betty M., and Paderna Gayon, Edwehna Elinore S. General
Chemistry 1. Manila City, Rex Bookstore Inc., 2016

Quiming, Noel and Sacramento, Jireh Joy. General Chemistry 1. Quezon City, Vibal
Group Inc., 2016

Midlandisd.net. “Electron Configurations, Orbital Notation and Quantum

Numbers.” Accessed July 16, 2020
https://www.midlandisd.net/cms/lib01/TX01000898/Centricity/Domain/1897/0
5_Electron_Configurations_Orbital_Notation_and_Quantum_Numb.pdf

Sutori. “Evolution of the Model of the Atom Timeline.” Accessed July 24, 2020
https://www.sutori.com/item/erwin-schrodinger-s-quantum-mechanical-model-of-
the-atom-consisted-of-having-ele

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Bohr Model.” Encyclopedia Britannica.

Accessed July 24, 2020 https://www.britannica.com/science/Bohr-model

Wyman, Elizabeth. “Electron configuration: Orbital, Noble Gas and Electron

Configuration Notation.” Study.com. Accessed July 15, 2020
https://study.com/academy/lesson/electron-configuration-orbital-noble-gas-
electron-configuration-notation.html