Chemistry Lecture Notes Flashcards

Flashcards relating to electron configuration, quantum numbers, and orbitals.

electron cloud

region surrounding the nucleus where electrons are likely to be found.

orbitals

specific locations within an atom where electrons exist, each with unique shapes.

quantum numbers

a set of numbers used to describe the properties of an electron in an atom, including energy level, shape, and orientation.

principal quantum number (n)

describes the size of the orbital and the energy level of the electron.

angular momentum quantum number (l)

describes the shape of the orbital (s, p, d, f).

magnetic quantum number (m)

describes the orientation of the orbital in space.

electron shell

a group of orbitals that all have the same principal quantum number (n).

subshell

a set of orbitals with the same values of n and l.

s orbital

a subshell where l equals 0.

p orbital

a subshell where l equals 1.

d orbital

a subshell where l equals 2.

f orbital

a subshell where l equals 3.

electron configuration

representation of how electrons are positioned in an atom.

orbital notation

diagram using lines and arrows to show shells, subshells, and orbitals for electrons in an atom.

pauli exclusion principle

no two electrons can have the same four quantum numbers. they must differ in at least one number.

electron spin quantum number (ms)

describes the spin or orientation of an individual electron within an orbital.

hund's rule

electrons in the same sublevel are placed in individual orbitals before they are paired up in order to increase atomic stability.

aufbau principle

electrons assume their most stable conditions, meaning that the orbitals always fill from lowest energy to highest energy.

diagonal rule

a diagram that shows the order in which orbitals are filled.

dot structures

diagrams where each circle represents a different electron shell and the dots are the electrons.