what is electron configuration?
I can not do any better than Wikipedia on this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_configuration
Out of curiosity, what state do you live in?
Electron configuration refers to the arrangement of electrons within an atom's electron shells or energy levels. It provides important information about the distribution of electrons around the nucleus of an atom.
To determine the electron configuration of an atom, follow these steps:
1. Identify the atomic number of the element, which represents the number of protons in the nucleus.
2. Determine the total number of electrons in the atom. This is equal to the atomic number because the number of electrons matches the number of protons in a neutral atom.
3. Begin filling the electron shells according to the Aufbau principle, which states that electrons fill the lowest energy levels first before moving to higher energy levels.
4. Each energy level or shell can hold a specific number of electrons. The first shell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, the second shell can hold a maximum of 8 electrons, the third shell can hold a maximum of 18 electrons, and so on. This is known as the electron capacity of each shell.
5. Follow the order of filling based on the periodic table. Electrons are filled starting from the lowest energy level (closest to the nucleus) and moving to the higher energy levels.
6. Use the Pauli exclusion principle, which states that each orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons with opposite spins (one "up" and one "down").
7. Fill the orbitals in each energy level in a specific order: s, p, d, f. The s orbital can hold 2 electrons, the p orbital can hold 6 electrons, the d orbital can hold 10 electrons, and the f orbital can hold 14 electrons.
By following these steps and understanding the periodic table, you can determine the electron configuration of any given element.