The aufbau principle

1. For hydrogen, the single electron is placed in the 1s orbital, the orbital lowest in energy, and
electron configuration is written as 1s1. The orbital diagram is

H: 2p _ _ _

2s _

1s 

2. A neutral helium atom, with an atomic number of 2 (Z = 2), contains two electrons. Place one
electron in the lowest-energy orbital, the 1s orbital. Place the second electron in the same orbital as
the first but pointing down, so the electrons are paired. This is written as 1s2.

He: 2p _ _ _

2s _

1s 

3. Lithium, with Z = 3, has three electrons in the neutral atom. The electron configuration is written as
1s22s1. Place two electrons in the 1s orbital and place one in the next lowest-energy orbital, 2s. The
orbital diagram is

Li: 2p _ _ _

2s 

1s 

4. Beryllium, with Z = 4, has four electrons. Fill both the 1s and 2s orbitals to achieve 1s22s2:

Be: 2p _ _ _

2s 

1s 

5. Boron, with Z = 5, has five electrons. Place the fifth electron in one of the 2p orbitals. The electron
configuration is 1s22s22p1

B: 2p  _ _

2s 

1s 

6. Carbon, with Z = 6, has six electrons. One is faced with a choice — should the sixth electron be
placed in the same 2p orbital that contains an electron or should it go in one of the empty 2p orbitals?
And if it goes in an empty 2p orbital, will the sixth electron have its spin aligned with or be opposite to
the spin of the fifth?
7. It is more favorable energetically for an electron to be in an unoccupied orbital rather than one that is
already occupied due to electron-electron repulsions. According to Hund’s rule, the lowest-energy
electron configuration for an atom is the one that has the maximum number of electrons with parallel
spins in degenerate orbitals. Electron configuration for carbon is 1s22s22p2 and the orbital
diagram is

C: 2p   _

2s 

1s 

8. Nitrogen (Z = 7) has seven electrons. Electron configuration is 1s22s22p3. Hund’s rule gives the lowest-
energy arrangement with unpaired electrons as

N: 2p   

2s 

1s 

9. Oxygen, with Z = 8, has eight electrons. One electron is paired with another in one of the 2p orbitals.
The electron configuration is 1s22s22p4:

O: 2p   

2s 

1s 

10. Fluorine, with Z = 9, has nine electrons with the electron configuration 1s22s22p5:

F: 2p   

2s 

1s 

11. Neon, with Z = 10, has 10 electrons filling the 2p subshell. The electron configuration is 1s22s22p6

Ne: 2p   

2s 

1s 