CHAPTER 8

ELECTRON CONFIGURATIONS AND

PERIODICITY
I. Why is this is very important?
A) Chemistry is explained through
sharing or transferring electrons.
B) All that follows this semester and next
will use the vocabulary of orbitals,
occupancy, etc.
II. How are the electrons arranged in an
atom? What orbitals are preferentially
filled by electrons?
A) What is an electron configuration?
B) THREE RULES GOVERN THE
ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRONS IN
ATOMS.
1) The Pauli Exclusion Principle - no two
electrons in the same atom can have the
same set of all 4 quantum numbers (no 2
can have the same zip code).
2) The Aufbau Principle - (means building-
up in German) in the ground state, the
electrons will fill the atomic orbital of
lowest energy.
Lowest energy is determined by the n + 
rule. That is, the sum of those two quantum
numbers determines the lowest energy, the
lower the sum the lower the energy. If the
sums are equal, the lowest value of n
determines the lowest energy.
n+
1+0=1 1s
2+0=2 2s
2+1=3 2p
3+0=3 3s
there is a tie, the 2p is lower than the 3s
because n=2 is less than n=3

3+1=4 3p
3+2=5 3d
4+0=4 4s
4 + 1 = 5 4p
there are 2 ties, the 4s is higher than the
3p because n=4 is GREATER than n=3
and the 4s (sum = 4) comes before the 3d
(sum = 5)
The second tie is 5; 3d comes before 4p
BECAUSE ______.
The order is: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p,
5s, 4d etc.
3) Hund's Rule - Electrons occupy all the
orbitals of a given sublevel singly before
pairing begins. Spins of electrons in
different incomplete orbitals are parallel
in the ground state.The most stable
arrangement of electrons in the subshells
is the one with the greatest number of
parallel spins.
II. ELECTRON CONFIGURATIONS -
THE GROUND STATE
Element Electron configuration

1H 1s1
2He 1s2
3Li 1s22s1
4Be 1s22s2
5B 1s22s22p1
6C 1s22s22p2
7N 1s22s22p3
 8O 1s22s22p4
9F 1s22s22p5
10Ne 1s22s22p6
11Na 1s22s22p63s1
12Mg 1s22s22p63s2
13Al 1s22s22p63s23p1
14Si 1s22s22p63s23p2
15P 1s22s22p63s23p3
16S 1s22s22p63s23p4
17Cl 1s22s22p63s23p5
18Ar 1s22s22p63s23p6
 19K 1s22s22p63s23p64s1
20Ca 1s22s22p63s23p64s2

21Sc 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d1
22Ti 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d2
23V 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d3
24Cr 1s22s22p63s23p64s13d5
There is a tendency toward half-filled and
completely filled d subshells. This is a
consequence of the closeness of the 3d and
the 4s orbital energies.
The 3d level becomes more stable as we
move from left to right on the periodic
chart. Remember there is an increase in
the number of __________consequently,
an increase in the number of electrons as
we move from left to right on the chart.
25Mn 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d5
26Fe 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d6
27Co 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d7
28Ni 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d8
29Cu 1s22s22p63s23p64s13d10
 Additional exceptions are Mo 5s14d5;
Ag 5s14d10; Au 6s15d10 That is reasonable
considering their position on the periodic
chart.
30Zn 1s 2
2s 2
2p 6
3s 2
3p 6
4s 2
3d 10

31Ga 1s 2
2s 2
2p 6
3s 2
3p 6
4s 2
3d 10
4p 1

32Ge 1s 2
2s 2
2p 6
3s 2
3p 6
4s 2
3d 10
4p 2

33 As 1s 2
2s 2
2p 6
3s 2
3p 6
4s 2
3d 10
4p 3

34 Se 1s 2
2s 2
2p 6
3s 2
3p 6
4s 2
3d 10
4p 4

35 Br 1s 2
2s 2
2p 6
3s 2
3p 6
4s 2
3d 10
4p 5

36 Kr 1s 2
2s 2
2p 6
3s 2
3p 6
4s 2
3d 10
4p 6
You should be able to do the electron
configuration for any element on the chart
which follows the basic rules and the d5
and d10 exceptions.
Orbital Diagrams
1s 2s 2p
ELECTRON CONFIGURATIONS OF
IONS
Electrons do not come out the same way as
we put them in according to the Aufbau
Principle. Electrons leave the outer most
shell first.
Let's look at V vs V2+

23V 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d3
23 V2+
1s2
2s 2
2p6
3s 2
3p6
3d3
III. Relationship to the Periodic Chart
I want you to be able to use the Periodic
Chart to do electron configurations.
At the top left of the periodic table which
you have been given, write the letter n. At
the beginning of each row write a number
beginning with 1 and ending with 7. Above
H put s1; above He put s2
above B put np1; above C put np2; etc
across the chart.
2 lines above the transition metals put (n- 1)d
Above Sc put d1; above Ti put d2;above V
put d3; above Cr put d5; above Mn put d5;
above Fe put d6; above Co put d7; above Ni
put d8; above Cu put d10; above Zn put d10.

Outside the lanthanides and actinides put

(n - 2)f
IV. Magnetic Properties of Atoms
A) Unpaired electrons give a paramagnetic
substance.
A paramagnetic substance is one that is
attracted into a magnetic field. This is
generally the result of unpaired electrons.
The experimental evidence is that in a
magnetic field a paramagnetic element
weighs more than in a nonmagnetic field
environment. The change in weight
between the two environments can be used
to calculate the number of unpaired
electrons in a particular atom (element).
An element in which all the electrons are
paired is a diamagnetic substance. It is
repelled in a magnetic field and weighs
__________ between the two
environments.
V. TRENDS IN THE PERIODIC TABLE -
USE OF WHAT WE HAVE JUST
LEARNED
A)Atomic radius - a number of physical
properties of elements are related to the
size of an atom, but with our probability
picture where does an atom end?
Experimental Measurement - the covalent
radius is the center to center distance
between 2 adjacent atoms. The atomic
radius is ½ the distance between the 2
nuclei of the adjacent atoms. There are
many difficulties associated with obtaining
these numbers, but in spite of the
difficulties, scientists have assembled a set
of approximate atomic radii from
interatomic distances.
C) Atomic radius, in general, __________ as
we move from left to right in a row of the
periodic table. (Many students get this
wrong for some reason. DON'T BE ONE
OF THEM!!!)

D) Atomic radius increases from top to

bottom in a family or group.
E) These 2 trends are the result of 3
influences on size.
1) The number of the principal energy
levels which are occupied, or the highest
principal energy level which is occupied. As
n increases, the size ________ , shells with a
larger value of n extend further from the
nucleus and the covalent radius_________.
This accounts for the_________ from top to
bottom in a group.
2) The nuclear charge is very important. As
the number of protons increases across a
row, the positive charge on the nucleus
increases.
THERE IS A STRONGER ATTRACTION
FOR ELECTRONS IN THE SAME
SHELL. The size _____________especially
considering the s and p block elements.
3) The shielding effect is another important
consideration in predicting the size of
atoms. The attraction for electrons in the
outermost shell by the nucleus is shielded
by electrons in lower energy levels.
a) The smaller size of atoms going across a
row can be attributed to minimum
shielding.
Electrons in the same shell are attracted
more strongly as the nuclear charge
increases, because the shielding effect
remains the same. If the shielding effect
remains the same, the Effective Nuclear
Charge increases. The ENC is the positive
charge that an electron experiences from
the nucleus and is equal to the nuclear
charge minus the number of shielding
electrons.
In the second row for example: Li has
3protons in the nucleus, 2e in the 1s orbital
(shielding) and 1e in the 2s orbital. ENC =
3 - 2 = 1. The outermost electron "feels" a
net attraction by the inside of +1.
B has 5+ in the nucleus, 2e in the 1s orbital
(shielding) and 2e in the 2s orbital, and 1e in
the 2p orbital. ENC = _______ The
outermost electron "feels" a net attraction
by the inside of _____ .
Carbon will have an ENC of +4, N one of +5
etc. As the ENC _________the size ________.

b) Larger size - valence shell - the

outermost shell is further from the
nucleus. Shielding and n are increasing,
but the outermost electrons "don't know"
that there is an increase in the number of
positive charges in the nucleus. The ENC
remains the same down a column and the
valence electrons are further out, allowing
the size to_____________ down a column.
c) What should you be able to do as a
result of this??? I should be able to give
you a list of elements and you should be
able to put them in order of size from
smallest to largest by just looking at their
positions on the chart.
EXAMPLE: Arrange the following in the
order of increasing size: Na Be Mg .
THINK... Be is the highest and farthest to
the right on the chart, Na is to the left of
Mg and in the same row. Therefore the
order should be Be < Mg< Na (largest).
F) IONIZATION ENERGY - when not
modified as first, second, third, etc., it
usually means the first ionization energy.
THIS IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT
TREND IN THE PERIODIC TABLE.
1) The first ionization energy is the
minimum amount of energy required to
remove the most loosely held electron from
an isolated gaseous atom in the ground
state to form a +1 charged ion.
A(g) + energy  A+ + 1e
A(g)  A+ + 1e H = + kJ/mol

2) THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT

CONCEPT because the chemical properties
of any atom are determined by the
configuration of an atom's valence electrons,
those electrons in the outermost shell. Those
are the electrons of importance in bonding,
the subject of the next two chapters.
3) The ionization energies of electrons in
atoms are a confirmation of the electron
configurations.
4) The way in which ionization energies
vary with atomic number provides another
good example of the periodic law and
electron configurations.
5) In general the first ionization energy
increases from left to right across a row in
the Periodic Chart with some notable
exceptions.
6) The trend across from left to right is
accounted for by a) the increasing nuclear
charge.
 The electrons in the outermost shell are
more strongly bound to the nucleus due to
the increasing effective nuclear charge.
b) the decrease in atomic radius. This also
tends to reinforce the concept of the
electrons being more strongly bound to the
nucleus. Notice the high FIE of the Noble
Gases. Eight electrons in the valence shell is
an extremely stable electron arrangement.
c) Irregularities with which you should be
familiar:
Boron's FIE is less than Be's:
B 1s22s22p1
Be 1s22s2
The 2 p electron extends a little further
from the nucleus than the 2s, therefore it
is easier to remove. It is shielded by the 2s
electron – less tightly held.
Oxygen's FIE is less than N's and sulfur's is
less than phosphorus. This is due to oxygen
having a shared pair of electrons in one of
the p orbitals.
With an electron already in the orbital
there is repulsion between the two in the
same orbital and it comes out with less
energy input.
7) The trend from top to bottom of a
column shows a decrease in the FIE which
corresponds to an increase in the atomic
radius.
8) The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ionization energies
are those required to remove the 2nd, 3rd,
and 4th electrons.
Each ion formed is more highly positively
charged and the energy required to remove
each electron is greater than that required
for the previous one. When an electron is
removed from a lower shell, there is a big
jump in energy.
9) Put in order of increasing first
ionization energy the following elements:
CNOF
G) ELECTRON AFFINITY
1) Electron affinity is the energy change
which occurs when an electron is accepted
by an atom in the gaseous state.
A(g) + e A-(g)
2) In contrast to ionization energy, what do
we observe on the following graph of
EA's?
a) Ionization Energy is always
endothermic. It always takes energy to
remove an electron. H is always +
b) Electron Affinity can be either
endothermic or exothermic depending on the
element.
c) An exothermic (H = -) value for the
electron affinity indicates that energy is
released upon the addition of an electron to
a gaseous atom.
The greater the negative value of the
electron affinity, the greater the tendency of
an atom to accept an electron.
d) A +H indicates that energy must be
absorbed for an atom to gain an electron.
e) As we go from left to right on the
periodic chart, the elements have, in
general, an increasing tendency to form
negative ions. However, there are more
exceptions than with Ionization Energy.