CRYSTAL CHEMISTRY

Electronic Configuration of the Elements

Hydrogen through Krypton

Here's a useful table for your chemistry homework or general use! This is a
compilation of the electron configurations of the elements up through number
104, broken into three pages (the table was too large for anything less). To
arrive at the electron configurations of atoms, you must know the order in
which the different sublevels are filled. Electrons enter
available sublevels in order of their increasing energy. A
sublevel is filled or half-filled before the next sublevel is
entered. For example, the s sublevel can only hold two
electrons, so the 1s is filled at helium (1s2). The p sublevel can hold six
electrons, the d sublevel can hold 10 electrons, and the f sublevel can hold 14
electrons. Common shorthand notation is to refer to the noble gas core, rather
than write out the entire configuration. For example, the configuration of
magnesium could be written [Ne] 3s2, rather than writing out 1s22s22p63s2.

No. Element K L M N O P Q
12 3 4 5 6 7
s sp spd spdfspdfspdfs
1 H 1
2 He 2
3 Li 21
4 Be 22
5 B 221
6 C 222
7 N 223
8 O 224
9 F 225
10 Ne 226
11 Na 2261
12 Mg 2262
13 Al 22621
14 Si 22622
15 P 22623
16 S 22624
17 Cl 22625
18 Ar 22626
19 K 22626- 1
20 Ca 22626- 2
21 Sc 226261 2
22 Ti 226262 2
23 V 226263 2
24 Cr 2 2 6 2 6 5* 1
25 Mn 226265 2
26 Fe 226266 2
27 Co 226267 2
28 Ni 226268 2
29 Cu 2 2 6 2 6 10 1*
30 Zn 2 2 6 2 6 10 2
31 Ga 2 2 6 2 6 10 2 1
32 Ge 2 2 6 2 6 10 2 2
33 As 2 2 6 2 6 10 2 3
34 Se 2 2 6 2 6 10 2 4
35 Br 2 2 6 2 6 10 2 5
36 Kr 2 2 6 2 6 10 2 6

*Note Irregularity

The electron configuration of an atom is the particular distribution of electrons

among available shells. It is described by a notation that lists the subshell
symbols, one after another. Each symbol has a subscript on the right giving the
number of electrons in that subshell. For example, a configuration of the
lithium atom (atomic number 3) with two electrons in the 1s subshell and one
electron in the 2s subshell is written 1s22s1.

sublevel orbital maximum # of electrons

s 1 2
 p 3 6

d 5 10

f 7 14

The notation for electron configuration gives the number of electrons in each
subshell. The number of electrons in an atom of an element is given by the
atomic number of that element.

On the left we have a diagram to show how the orbitals of a subshell are
occupied by electrons. On the right there is a diagram for the filling order of
electrons in a subshell.
Here are some examples that show how to use the filling order diagram to
complete the electron configuration for a certain substance.

Element # of Electrons in Element Electron Configuration

He 2 1s2

Li 3 1s22s1

Be 4 1s22s2

O 8 1s22s22p4

Cl 17 1s22s22p63s23p5

K 19 1s22s22p63s23p64s1
Often times you will be asked to find the electron configuration for something
that looks like this:

53 I

The 53 denotes the number of electrons in an atom of iodine. You would now
proceed to do the electron configuration by looking at the filling order chart.

1s22s22p63s23p64s2 3d104p65s24d105p5

Periodicity

With increasing atomic number, the electron configuration of the atoms

display a periodic variation. Because of this the elements show periodic
variations of both physical and chemical behavior. The periodic law is a law
stating that when the elements are arranged by atomic number, their physical
and chemical properties vary periodically. We are going to be looking at three
physical properties of an atom: atomic radius, ionization energy, and electron
affinity.

Atomic Radius

The size of the electron cloud increases as the principal quantum number
increases. Therefore, as you look down the periodic table, the size of atoms in
each group is going to increase. When you look across the periodic table, you
see that all the atoms in each group have the same principal quantum number.
However, for each element, the positive charge on the nucleus increases by
one proton. This means that the outer electron cloud is pulled in a little tighter.
One periodic property of atoms is that they tend to decrease in size from left
to right across a period of the table. So finally we have a good definition for
how the atomic radii increases: the atomic radii increases top to bottom and
right to left in the periodic table.

Ionization Energy

The energy needed to remove the most loosely held electron from an atom is
known as ionization energy. Ionization energies are periodic. The ionization
energy tends to increase as atomic number increases in any horizontal row or
period. In any column or group, there is a gradual decrease in ionization energy
as the atomic number increases. Metals typically have a low ionization energy.
Nonmetals typically have a high ionization energy.

Electron Affinity

The attraction of an atom for an electron is called electron affinity. Metals have
low electron affinities while nonmetals have high electron affinities. The
general trend as you go down a column is a decreasing tendancy to gain
electrons. As you go across a row there is also a trend for a greater attraction
for electrons.

IONIC BOND

The Ionic Bond: Ionic bonds are formed when there is a complete transfer of
electrons from one atom to another, resulting in two ions, one positively
charged and the other negatively charged. For example, when a sodium atom
(Na) donates the one electron in its outer valence shell to a chlorine (Cl) atom,
which needs one electron to fill its outer valence shell, NaCl (table salt)
results.  Ionic bonds are often 4-7 kcal/mol in strength.
Ionic Bonding

Key Concepts

 An ionic solid is made up of positive ions (cations) and

negative ions (anions) held together by electrostatic forces in
a rigid array or lattice.
 Ionic bonding refers to the electrostatic attraction between
cations and anions.
 The physical properties of ionic compounds are:
o High melting and boiling points
o Ionic solids do not conduct electricity (they are
insulators).
o When molten (liquid) ionic compounds conduct electricity.
o When dissolved in water to form an aqueous solution ionic compounds
conduct electricity.
o Hard
o Brittle

Physical Properties of Ionic Compounds

Melting Point
Ionic compounds have high melting points.

The electrostatic attraction (ionic bond) between cations and anions is strong. It takes a
lot of energy to overcome this attraction in order to allow the ions to move more freely
and form a liquid.

The factors which affect the melting point of an ionic compound are:

 The charge on the ions. 

In general, the greater the charge, the greater the electrostatic attraction, the
stronger the ionic bond, the higher the melting point. 
The table below compares the melting point and ion charges for sodium chloride
and magnesium oxide. 

Ionic Compound Melting Point (oC) Cation Charge Anion Charge

NaCl 801 +1 -1

MgO 2800 +2 -2


MgO has a higher melting point than NaCl because 2 electrons are transferred
from magnesium to oxygen to form MgO while only 1 electron is transferred from
sodium to chlorine to form NaCl.
 The size of the ions. 
Smaller ions can pack closer together than larger ions so the electrostatic
attraction is greater, the ionic bond is stronger, the melting point is higher. 
The melting point of Group IA (alkali) metal fluorides is compared to the ionic
radius of the cation in the table below. 
 Ionic Compound Melting Point (oC) Cation Radius (pm)

NaF 992 99

KF 857 136

RbF 775 148

CsF 683 169


As the radius of the cations increases down Group I from Na+ to Cs+, the melting
points of the fluorides decrease.

Conductivity
In order for a substance to conduct electricity it must contain mobile particles capable of
carrying charge.

  Ionic Solid Ionic Liquid Aqueous Solution

Mobility of Ions very poor good good

Electrical Conductivity very poor good good

Solid ionic compounds do not conduct electricity because the ions (charged particles) are
locked into a rigid lattice or array. The ions cannot move out of the lattice, so the solid
cannot conduct electricity.

When molten, the ions are free to move out of the lattice structure.

 Cations (positive ions) move towards the negative electrode (cathode) 

M+ + e -----> M

 Anions (negative ions) move towards the positive electrode (anode) 

X- -----> X + e

When an ionic solid is dissolved in water to form an aqueous solution, the ions are
released from the lattice structure and are free to move so the solution conducts
electricity just like the molten (liquid) ionic compound.

Brittleness
Ionic solids are brittle.

When a stress is applied to the ionic lattice, the

layers shift slightly.
The layers are arranged so that each cation is surrounded by anions in the lattice. If the
layers shift then ions of the same charge will be brought closer together.

Ions of the same charge will repel each other, so the lattice structure breaks down into
smaller pieces.