ELECTRONIC

STRUCTURE OF
ATOMS
The Quantum mechanical
description of the atom and
its electronic structure
1.Use quantum numbers to describe an electron in
an atom (STEM_GC11ESIIa-b-54);

2.Determine the magnetic property of the atom

based on its electronic configuration
(STEM_GC11ESIIa-b-57);

3.Draw an orbital diagram to represent the electronic

configuration of atoms (STEM_GC11ESIIa-b-58)
Repulsion in orbitals (DEMO)
Questions for Analysis
1. What is the shape formed by the
balloons?
2. If the balloon is compared to an
orbital, how do you relate your
observation to orbital shape of
electrons?
Revisiting the Atom
 Quantum Mechanical
Model
designates
Energy levels of
electrons
by

probable distance of
Principal quantum
electrons from the gives
nucleus
numbers with values

composed of n = 1, 2, 3, 4, …

Energy levels
further composed of

Atomic Orbitals
denoted by

s orbitals p orbitals d orbitals f orbitals

The wave nature of light

By the 17th century, Isaac

Newton thought that light
was made of corpuscles or
particles. However, by the
1900s, scientists described
light as an
electromagnetic radiation
traveling in waves.
Isaac Newton
(1643-1727)
English scientist and
mathematician
All waves are characterized by amplitude
(or height), frequency and wavelength.
The brightness or intensity of light
depends on the amplitude of a light wave.
Frequency tells how fast a wave completes
a cycle upward and downward motion per
sec.
Wavelength is the distance between two
successive peaks of the wave.
Planks Quantum Theory and Photons

In 1900, Max Planck(1858-

1947), a German Physicist,
explained why a piece of iron
changes color as it is heated.
First it appears to be black,
then red, yellow, white and
blue as the temperature
increases. He suggested that
the energy absorbed by the
iron or any body is absorbed
or released only in fixed
amounts which he called
quanta.
 TheEnergy of a single quantum is given by the
equation,

E = hυ

Where: E = energy
h = Planck’s constant = 6.63x10-34J.s
υ = frequency of radiation
According to Planck’s Theory,
energy is always emitted or
absorbed in whole multiples of hυ-
hυ, 2hυ, 3hυ, and so forth.
In 1905, Albert Einstein
(1879-1955) realized that
a tiny packet of energy
behaves like a tiny
particle of light and used
this to explain the photo
electric effect.
Albert Einstein
(1879-1955)
Photoelectric effect occurs when lights of
high energy (photon) strike a metal
surface and cause electrons to be ejected.

Photon (photo + electron) is a quantum of

electromagnetic energy that has both
wave and particle characteristics.
ATOMIC EXPECTRA

Atomic spectra or line spectra

 the spectra produced by some gaseous
substances consist of only a limited
number of colored lines with dark spaces
between them.
 Each element has its own distinct line
spectrum, a kind of atomic fingerprint.
 Atomic spectra can be used to identify an
element.
ATOMIC EXPECTRA

Spectroscopy
 the study of spectral lines was developed by
Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff
 Early work in spectroscopy was done using a
gas burner, now called Bunsen burner.
Emission spectra
 the bright colors that appear as bright
lines through the spectroscope.
ATOMIC EXPECTRA
Bohr’s Model of the Hydrogen Atom

Three key ideas paved the

way for Bohr’s model of the
atom:
1) Rutherford’s atomic
Nucleus;
2) Einstein idea of the quantum
applied to light and
3) Spectra of atoms especially
the spectrum of hydrogen

Niels Bohr
In 1913, using the line spectrum of hydrogen, Neils Bohr
postulated the following:

1. Electrons move in circular orbits around the

nucleus. Adapting Einstein’s idea that slight
particles are quantized, he proposed that each orbit
corresponds to a definite energy level which
increases as its distance from the nucleus increases.
Each orbital contains a definite number of
electrons. As long as the electrons stay in their given
orbits, no absorption or emission of energy occurs.
The electron energy is fixed.
In 1913, using the line spectrum of hydrogen, Neils Bohr
postulated the following:

2. The lone electron of hydrogen could transfer

from energy level to another when it absorbs or
emits energy. Each energy level is designated a
positive integer, n is called the principal number of
energy level. This indicates the position of the
electrons with respect to the nucleus. When the
electron is n=1, it is the ground state or ground
level. This is the lowest energy state of the electrons
– the most stable state.
In 1913, using the line spectrum of hydrogen, Neils Bohr
postulated the following:
3. When the electrons absorbs photons or packets
of energy, it “jumps” to a higher energy state
(higher value of n). The stability of the electron
decreases and the electron is in excited state or
excited level. When the electron “falls” back to a
lower energy level and finally to the ground state,
energy is released in the form of light. Only certain
colors of light is are possible because only discrete
amount of energy are released. These amount of
energy are equal to the energy difference between
energy levels.
WAVE PARTICLE DUALITY

Planck, Einstein, and Bohr suggested

that light possess both particle (photon)
and wave properties. This dual nature
of light was extended by Louis de
Broglie in 1924 when he suggested that
electrons or small particles at times
display properties of waves.
WAVE PARTICLE DUALITY

This was confirmed by Davisson and Germer in

1927. They observed that when beams of electrons
were bombarded on metal surfaces, patterns of
diffractions and reflections were produced. This
dual characteristic of matter and energy is known
as the wave-particle duality.
De Broglie used the term matter waves to describe
the wave characteristics of material particles.
THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE
De Broglie’s matter waves
elicited some questions on
Bohr’s model of the atom. This
is because a wave extends in
space and its location is not
precisely defined, whereas
particles can be precisely
located in space (from classical
physics). This contradiction was
resolved by Werner Heisenberg
in 1927.
Werner Heisenberg
THE UNCERTAINTY PRINCIPLE

Using De Broglie’s matter waves, he

suggested that it is impossible to know the
exact momentum (speed) and location of an
electron at the same time. This is
Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle which
can be understood by imagining the
position of the electron at a given moment.
QUANTUM MECHANICAL MODEL OF
AN ATOM
In 1926, Erwin Schrodinger
improved the mathematical
treatment of de Broglie on the new
quantum theory. He used the
Schrodinger wave equation to
describe the location and energy of
an electron of hydrogen. This paved
the way for dealing with subatomic
particles known as quantum
mechanics or wave mechanics.
Erwin Schrodinger
QUANTUM MECHANICAL MODEL OF AN
ATOM
 Quantum mechanical model does not define the
exact path an electron takes around the
nucleus.
 The probability of finding an electron in space
around the nucleus is shown as a fuzz cloud
called orbitals or atomic orbitals.
 The spaces around the nucleus of an atom
where the electrons are likely to be found are
called electron clouds.
What was the idea of Bohr about the composition and
structure of atom?
a. Electrons go around the nucleus in circular orbits.
However, not all circular orbits are allowed. The
electron is allowed to occupy only specific orbits with
specific energies. Therefore, the energies of the electron
are quantized.

b. If the electron stays in the allowed orbit, its energy is

stable. It will not emit radiation and it will not spiral
into the nucleus.

c. If an electron jumps from one orbit to another, it will

absorb or emit energy in quanta.
Why Bohr’s model was considered inaccurate?

Electrons do not go around the

nucleus in well-defined orbits.
Otherwise, we will be able to
determine the exact position and
momentum of the electron in the
atom at the same time.
 Lesson 1
Quantum Numbers
3-dimensional Models of the Orbitals

Click the link…

Shape of s-orbitals in 3D (chemt
ube3d.com)
Electronic Structure
 is the arrangement of electrons in
an atom.
 It refers not only to the number of
electrons that an atom possesses
but also to their distribution
around the nucleus and to their
energies.
Atomic orbital
 is the region having the
highest probability of
finding an electron in an
atom.
How is the size of atomic
orbital related to its energy?
Orbitals are degenerate when they have
the same energy. The energy of an orbital
depends on both its size and its shape
because the electron spends more of its
time further from the nucleus of the atom
as the orbital becomes larger or the shape
becomes more complex.
Quantum Numbers describing
Electronic Orbitals
Quantum Numbers
 are set of values which give us an information
about the location of electrons in the electron
cloud of an atom.
 It can be used to determine the electron
configuration of an atom.
 According to the Pauli Exclusion Principle,
each electron in an atom has an exclusive set
of quantum numbers and no two electrons
can have the same combination of four
quantum numbers (Silberberg, 2013).
1. Principal quantum number (n)
 Determines the energy of an orbital
 Determines the orbital size
 Is related to the average distance of the electron
from the nucleus in a particular orbital; the
 larger the n value, the farther the average distance of
the electron from the nucleus
 Can have the values: n = 1, 2, 3, …
 Orbitals with the same n are said to be in the same
shell.
1. Principal quantum number (n)

Figure 1. The energy level (n) is the energy of the

electron to sustain its path. Note, the lowest
energy level is 1. As n increases, the distance from
the nucleus increases.
2. Angular/azimuthal quantum number (ℓ)
 Describes the “shape” of the orbitals
 Can have the following values: ℓ = 0, 1, 2, up
to n-1.
Examples
n value ℓ value
1 0
2 0, 1
3 0, 1, 2
 Orbitals with the same n and values belong to
the same subshell.
The letters (s,p,d,f) represent the orbital
angular momentum quantum number (ℓ)
and the orbital angular momentum quantum
number may be 0 or a positive number, but
can never be greater than n-1.
Each letter is paired with a specific ℓ value:
Sharp (s): subshell = 0
Principal(p): subshell = 1
Diffuse (d): subshell = 2
Fundamental(f): subshell = 3
Source: https://study.com/academy/lesson/angular-momentum-
quantum-number-definition-example-quiz.html
3. Magnetic Quantum Number (mℓ)

Describes the “orientation” of the

orbital in space
Can have the following values:

-ℓ,(ℓ + 1),…(+ ℓ -1), + ℓ

Figure 2. Magnetic quantum number describes the orientation in space of the
electrons. Notice that, s has only 1 orientation since its spherical. For p, have 3
orientations, d have 5 orientations, and f have 7 orientations. Each orientation
can accommodate a maximum of 2 electrons. So, s can have a maximum of 2
electrons, p can have a maximum of 6 electrons, d can have a maximum of 10
electrons, and f can have a maximum of 10 electrons.
Source: https://byjus.com/chemistry/quantum-numbers/
4. Electron spin quantum number (ms)

The 4th quantum number refers to

two different spin orientations of
electrons in a specified orbital.
Figure 1.3. Representation of the Spin Quantum Number values
Rules Governing the Combination of Quantum Numbers

1. The quantum numbers n, ℓ, mℓ, are integers.

2. The principal quantum numbers, n, cannot be zero (0). Its
lowest value is 1. Example, n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on
3. The azimuthal quantum number, ℓ, can have a value from
0 to n1
4. The highest the value it can have depends on n. Example, if
n = 6, ℓ can be 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5.
5. The magnetic quantum number, ml, can be any integer
from –l to +l. Example, if ℓ = 1, mℓ can be -1, 0 or +1. If ℓ =
2, mℓ can be -2, -1, 0, +1 or +2.
6. The spin quantum number, ms, can only be +1/2 or -1/2.
No other values are allowed
How much have you learned?
Directions: In your own words, describe the
following terms in 2-3 sentences only.

1. Quantum Number
2. Principal Quantum Number
3. Angular Quantum Number
4. Magnetic Quantum Number
1. What is the importance of
understanding the role of quantum
numbers in chemistry?

2. How are GPS (Global Positioning

System) and quantum numbers related to
each other?

3. Why is it important to be aware of your

location and surroundings?
THANK YOU!