3.1.

1 STUDY: ELECTRONS &

ORBITALS
ELECTRONS IN AN ATOM

THE LOCATION OF ELECTRONS WITHIN AN ATOM DETERMINES THE ATOM’S PROPERTIES

Electrons each have a place to “live” in an atom. Their location not only determines the electron’s function, but
also how it will interact with other atoms.

Valence electrons are the electrons located farthest from the nucleus. All others are called core electrons. You can
figure out the number of valence electrons an atom has by looking at the periodic table.

Total Amount of Total Amount of Valence Total Amount of Core

Element
Electrons Electrons Electrons
Silicon (Si) 14 4 10
Strontium (Sr) 38 2 36

ENERGY LEVELS & THE NUCLEUS

EACH ENERGY LEVEL IS LIKE A LAYER OF ELECTRONS AROUND THE NUCLEUS

Electrons circle the nucleus in layers. Each layer is considered an energy level. The number of energy levels & the
number of electrons within each layer vary between elements. However, there is a limit to the number of
electrons in each level. The level closest to the nucleus is the lowest energy level & can contain up to 2 electrons.
The next two layers can contain up to 8 electrons each.

The element argon (Ar) is in the 3rd row of the periodic table. This means it has electrons in 3 energy levels, & its
valence electrons are in the 3rd energy level. Argon has a full set of electrons in each of the 1 st three energy levels.

ELECTRONS IN ENERGY LEVELS

Element # of Electrons Energy Level 1 Energy Level 2 Energy Level 3

Carbon (C) 6 2 4 0
Oxygen (O) 8 2 6 0
Silicon (Si) 14 2 8 4
ENERGY LEVELS & THE PERIODIC TABLE

AN ELEMENT’S PERIOD NUMBER INDICATES THE ENERGY LEVEL OF THE ELEMENT’S VALENCE
ELECTRONS

Each energy level of electrons corresponds to a row of the periodic table. For instance, carbon (C) & oxygen (O) are
in the 2nd row of the periodic table, & their valence electrons are in the 2 nd energy level. They are in Period 2.

Meanwhile, silicon (Si) is in Period 3—it’s in the 3 rd row of the periodic table, & its valence electrons are in the 3 rd
energy level.

The more electrons an atom has, the more energy levels there will be. Therefore, the energy level of the valence
electrons will be higher.

ENERGY LEVELS & VALENCE ELECTRONS

Energy Levels & Valence Electrons

Energy Level 1 Energy Level 2 Energy Level 3
Hydrogen (H) Lithium (Li) Sodium (Na)
Helium (He) Boron (B) Magnesium (Mg)
Carbon (C) Aluminium (Al)
Oxygen (O) Sulfur (S)
Fluorine (F) Chlorine (Cl)
Neon (Ne)

SUBLEVELS & ORBITALS

AN ELECTRON’S “ADDRESS” HAS 3 PARTS: ENERGY LEVEL, ENERGY SUBLEVEL, & ORBITAL

Each energy level is divided into several more levels. Each of these is called an energy sublevel, & each sublevel
contains one type of orbital. An orbital is a space around an atom that can contain up to 2 electrons. Elements in
the 1st three rows of the periodic table contain only 2 types of energy sublevels & therefore, only 2 types of
orbitals. The s sublevel contains the s orbital & can hold up to two electrons. The p orbital is found in the p
sublevel. The p sublevel contains 3 p orbitals. Since each orbital contains up to 2 electrons, the p sublevel can hold
a maximum of 6 electrons.

An s orbital is a sphere, centered at the nucleus of the atom. A p orbital looks like a dumbbell. An electron that is in
an s orbital can be found anywhere is the s orbital space, & an electron in a p orbital can be found anywhere in the
p orbital. The 2s orbital is in the 2nd energy level. It has more energy than the 1s orbital, which is why it is bigger—
an electron in a higher energy level is farther away from the nucleus.