Electron Configuration

• Electron configuration


  Whereabouts the electrons are in an atom
• Atom


  • Electrons whizzing around it
  • Electrons are in shells
  • Shells are n=1, 2, 3, etc.
• Shells


  • Have subshells
  • Subshells are s, p, d, and f
• Subshells


  • Made of orbitals
  • Each orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons
• Subshells in n=1 shell


  • s
• Subshells in n=2 shell


  • s
  • p
• Subshells in n=3 shell


  • s
  • p
  • d
• s subshell


  1 orbital
• p subshell


  3 orbitals
• d subshell


  5 orbitals
• f subshell has a number of orbitals
• Electron configuration


  Filling up available spaces in shells and subshells
• First shell (n=1) can hold 2 electrons
• Second shell (n=2) can hold 8 electrons
• Third shell (n=3) can hold 18 electrons
• Electrons fill up subshells in a specific order
• Magnesium ion (Mg2+) has 10 electrons