Name:_____________________________________________________________________________________Date:_______________Period:________

Electron Configuration and Orbitals

Model 1: Orbitals

The quantum mechanical model determines the allowed energies an electron can have and how likely it is to find the
electron in various locations around the nucleus. Electrons are located in orbitals (different than Bohr!) in the electron
cloud. An atomic orbital is a region of space in which there is a high probability of finding an electron. There are four
orbitals, s, p, d, and f which are found in different energy levels called principle quantum numbers. Below is a table
summarizing this idea. Be aware that we go all the way up to principle energy level of 7, however, it does become a bit
more complex. We use the energy level numbers and orbitals in a “code” called electron configuration which helps us
express the location of an electron with high probability.

Key Content Questions:

1. What is an atomic orbital? What are the four different orbitals?

2. What do you notice about the sublevels as you increase in energy levels?

3. Are all orbitals found in each sublevel?

s Orbital

The s orbital is a spherical shape and can only have 2 electrons. It is the
first orbital in an energy level to be filled when writing electron
configurations. The s orbital only has one orientation, seen in the picture
to the right. This orbital is found in all energy levels.

(s=sphere…memory clue!)
p Orbital

The p orbital looks like a peanut (p=peanut). This orbital

has 3 orientations and can therefore hold 6 total
electrons. The p orbitals and orientations are shown on
the right. The orientations refer to how many different
ways the orbital can orient itself in space. This orbital is
found in energy levels 2-7.

d Orbital

The d orbital looks like a double peanut (d=double peanut) and can hold 10 electrons
total. This has 5 orientations, one of which is shown to the right. This orbital is
found in energy levels 3-6.

f Orbtial

The f orbital looks like a flower (f=flower) and can hold 14 electrons. This has
7 orientations, one of which is shown to the right. This orbital is found in
energy levels 4 and 5.

Key Content Questions:

4. Fill out the following table:

Orbital Memory Clue to help How many How many electrons What energy levels
with appearance orientations does fit in each orbital? are each orbital
each orbital have? found in?

5. What do you notice about the orientations and the number of electrons in each orbital (meaning, is there some kind
of mathematical relationship?)
 Model 2: Writing Electron Configuration

The periodic table is that it is sectioned off by orbitals, or region of space in which there is a high probability of finding
an electron. There are four orbitals, s, p, d, and f which are found in different energy levels called principle quantum
numbers. We use the energy level numbers and orbitals in a “code” called electron configuration which helps us
express the location of an electron with high probability. We can actually use the periodic table to write our electron
configurations. The first row is energy level 1, the second is energy level 2, and so on. *NOTE: The d and f orbital
energy levels do not follow the energy levels by row like s and p, so pay attention to those differences

S orbitals
p orbitals
Periods
1
d orbitals
2

f orbitals
Key Content Questions:
Look at the periodic table above, all the orange boxes indicates the principle energy level and the atomic orbital that the
outer electrons in that specific element occupies.

6. Look at Helium (He), is it part of the “s” orbital or “p”orbital?

7. The d orbital starts in the 4th row, or 4th energy level. However, what energy level (period number) does d
actually start with?

8. How many elements do all the “s” orbital span (go across) in each period? (circle your answer)
a) 2
b) 6
 c) 10
d) 14

9. How many elements do all the “p” orbital span (go across) in each period? (circle your answer)
a) 2
b) 6
c) 10
d) 14

10. How many elements do all the “d” orbital span (go across) in each period? (circle your answer)
a) 2
b) 6
c) 10
d) 14

11. How many elements do all the “f” orbital span (go across) in each period? (circle your answer)
a) 2
b) 6
c) 10
d) 14

12. What do your answers to #8-11 correspond to (look back at the table in question 4 of model 1).

13. What element can be found by an ending electron configuration of 2p3? (Hint: go to the 2p row and count 3
elements in)

14. What element can be found by an ending electron configuration of 3s2? (Hint: go to the 3s row and count 2
elements in)

15. What element can be found by an ending electron configuration of 3d6? (Hint: go to the 3d row and count 6
elements in)
One trend we see in the periodic table is that it is sectioned off by orbitals. We can actually use the periodic table to
write our electron configurations. The first row is energy level 1, the second is energy level 2, and so on. The d and f
orbital energy levels do not follow the energy levels by row like s and p, so pay attention to those differences.
Example 1: Writing the electron configuration for Boron (B) # of
electrons
Helium (He) was moved to help
exemplify how to use the periodic
table for electron configuration.

Ground State Electron Configuration for Boron is: 1s22s22p1

Example 2: Writing the electron configuration for Calcium (Ca).

Ground State Electron Configuration for Calcium is: 1s22s22p63s23p64s2

Key Content Questions:

16. Look at example 1 above, what do the little numbers (superscripts) at the top represent?

17. Write the ground state electron configuration for the Boron element in example 1 above (yes, just re-write it
here).

B:

18. Write the ground state electron configuration for the Calcium element in example 2 above (yes, just re-write it
here)

Ca:

19. Locate and Write the ground state electron configuration for oxygen (O). Follow the same pattern as the
examples above.

O:
20. Locate and Write the ground state electron configuration for sodium (Na). Follow the same pattern as the
examples above.
 Na:

21. Locate and Write the ground state electron configuration for aluminum (Al). Follow the same pattern as the
examples above.

Al:

22. Locate and Write the ground state electron configuration for phosphorus (P). Follow the same pattern as the
examples above.

P:

Model 3: Filling Orbital Diagrams

23. Examine Model 3 above. Compare the electron configuration for the elements in the model to your answers in
key question #19-22. Correct any that you got wrong in a different color pen.

24. Examine the orbital diagrams and electron configurations in Model 2. Match each symbol below with its
meaning.
25. Consider the orbital diagram for oxygen (O) in Model 3.
a. How many electrons are present in the orbital diagram?

b. Based on its position in the periodic table, explain how you know that your answer to part a is the correct
number of electrons for oxygen.

26. Examine the orbital diagrams and electron configurations in Model 2. Using the following electron configuration:

a. Underline the energy levels.

b. Circle the sublevels.

c. Draw a box around the numbers of electrons.

27. The 2s and 2p sublevels are very close in energy, as are the 3s and 3p sublevels. Explain how the orbital diagram
for sodium (Na) confirms that the 3s sublevel is lower in energy than the 3p sublevel.

28. The lowest potential energy arrangement of electrons in an atom is called the ground state. Ground state
electron configurations can be predicted by a strict set of rules known as the Aufbau principle (“aufbau”means
filling up). Examine the diagrams in Model 3 and the statements below to determine the phrase that best
describes each rule. Circle the correct answer.

a. Based on where a single electron is placed, the lowest potential energy electron in an atom is found in the
________ sublevel.

b. Electrons will occupy a p-orbital only after ____________ .

the previous s-orbital is half full

the previous s-orbital is completely full

the previous s-orbital is empty

c. Electrons can begin to occupy energy levels with the next highest integer designation (e.g., 2 vs. 1, 3 vs. 2)
only after __________________ on the energy level below it are occupied.
half of the orbitals at least one of the orbitals all of the orbitals
29. The Pauli exclusion principle describes the restriction on the placement of electrons into the same orbital. The
Pauli exclusion principle can be expressed as: “If two electrons occupy the same orbital, they must have
__________________.” Circle the correct answer.
 the same spin opposite spins

30. Hund’s rule describes how electrons are distributed among orbitals of the same sublevel when there is more
than one way to distribute them. Hund’s rule consists of two important ideas. Based on Model 2, circle the
correct answer to each statement.

a. Electrons will pair up in an orbital only when __________________

i. there is an even number of electrons in the sublevel

ii. all orbitals in the same sublevel have one electron

b. When single electrons occupy different orbitals of the same sublevel, __________________.

i. they all have the same spin ii. they all have different spins iii. their spins are random

31. Define each of the following rules electrons follow when filling orbitals:

Aufbau Principle:

Pauli Exclusion Principle:

Hund’s Rule:

32. Below are three answers from three different students in response to the prompt: “ Write the orbital diagram
for the ground state of Nitrogen (N) atom.” In each case, indicate whether the answer is right or wrong. If it is
wrong, explain the error using the rules from above.

Ground state electron configuration for Nitrogen (N): _____________________________________________

Right or Wrong Right or Wrong Right or Wrong

33. Complete the ground state electron configuration and orbital diagram for the following.
34. Write the element represented by the following electron configurations (hint…you only need to look at the last
orbital and use your periodic table…for example, I know a configuration that ends in 3s1 is sodium because it is
in the third row in the s block and is the first element in that block).

a. 1s22s1 :_____________________________

b. 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d104p65s24d105p66s2: ____________________

c. 1s22s22p63s23p3 :________________________ ________________

d. 6p4:__________________________________________________
 Model 4: Shorthand/Nobel Gas Electron Configuration

Instead of writing out every orbital for electron configurations, we have a shorter way! It is called the noble gas or
shorthand electron configuration. In this configuration, you do not need to write out the inner electrons, only the outer
electrons called valence electrons. To account for the inner electrons, put the nobel gas in the row before the element
you are writing the configuration for in brackets, and then write the rest of the configuration. For example, here is the
longhand and shorthand configurations for iron:

Longhand à

Shorthand à

There are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Hydrogen and helium do not have a shorter configuration than their longhand configurations

2. Nobel gases cannot represent themselves in brackets—you still must go back to the previous nobel gas and
then write out the rest of the configuration.

35. Write the shorthand electron configurations for the following elements:

a. Magnesium (Mg): _________________________________

b. Zinc (Zn):________________________________________

c. Tin (Sn):_________________________________________

d. Krypton (Kr):_____________________________________

e. Cesium (Cs):______________________________________