⚛️ ELECTRON CONFIGURATIONS AND THE PERIODIC TABLE

Q: What can affect the energy of electrons in different orbitals?

A: The presence of more than one electron in an atom can affect the energy of electrons in different orbitals.

Q: What contributes to the overall energy level of an atom?

A: The attractive forces between the nucleus and electrons.

Q: What must be considered when there is more than one electron in an atom?

A: The forces acting between the electrons.

Q: How does distance from the nucleus affect energy?

A: The further you are from the nucleus, the more energy there is.

Q: Why are energy levels for s, p, d, and f orbitals different within the same shell?

A: Because electron influences affect the energy levels differently within the same shell.

Q: What is an energy level diagram used for?

A: To visualize where electrons will fall in an atom.

Q: What happens to energy levels as orbitals increase?

A: Energy levels increase as orbitals increase.

Q: How many subheadings do s orbitals have?

A: S orbitals have 1 subheading.

Q: How many subheadings do p orbitals have?

A: P orbitals have 3 subheadings.

Q: How many subheadings do d orbitals have?

A: D orbitals have 5 subheadings.

Q: How many subheadings do f orbitals have?

A: F orbitals have 7 subheadings.

Q: Which orbitals are higher in energy, p or s?

A: P orbitals are higher in energy than s orbitals.

Q: Which orbitals have higher energy — 3d or 4s?

A: 3d orbitals have higher energy than 4s orbitals.

Q: What is the “shish kebab method”?

A: An easy way to remember which orbital has more energy.

Q: What is the Aufbau Principle?

A: Electrons always fill orbitals of lower energy first.
(1s is filled before 2s, and 2s before 2p.)

Q: What does the Pauli Exclusion Principle state?

A: No two electrons within a particular atom can have all four identical quantum numbers.
If two electrons occupy the same orbital, they must have opposite spins

Q: What does Hund’s Rule state?

A: When an electron joins an atom and has to choose between two or more orbitals of the same energy, it will prefer to enter an empty orbital rather than one already occupied.

Q: What is electron configuration?

A: A shorthand notation that shows the number and arrangement of electrons in an atom’s orbitals.

Q: How can the periodic table be used for electron configuration?

A: It can be used to determine which group elements will have a specific orbital unit.

Q: Why do chemists use condensed electron configurations?

A: To shorten long electron configurations.

Q: How do you create a condensed electron configuration?

A:

1. Determine which noble gas is found before the element.

2. Place the noble gas in square brackets.

3. Fill out the remaining orbitals using the periodic table.

Q: What are two methods to determine the number of electrons that occupy all orbitals?

A:

1. Counting: Create energy level diagrams and count all the electrons.

2. Formula: Use the formula 2n².