Electrons and the Periodic Table Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions regarding light, atomic orbitals, electron configurations, and periodic trends.

Wavelength ($\lambda$)

The distance between identical points on successive waves.

Frequency ($\nu$)

The number of waves that pass through a particular point in one second.

Line Spectra

Emission spectra that are not continuous, but contain only discrete lines.

Photons

Tiny, discrete packets of light.

Ground State

The lowest possible energy level ($n = 1$) for an electron in an atom.

Excited States

Higher energy levels populated when electrons absorb energy, where the quantum number $n$ is any integer greater than $1$.

Atomic Orbital

A region of space defining a probability map of electron density within an atom, where an electron is most likely to be found.

Principal Energy Levels

Main electron energy shells designated by integer quantum numbers ($n = 1, 2, 3...$) containing one or more sublevels.

Energy Sublevels

Subdivisions within a principal energy level designated as $s$, $p$, $d$, or $f$, each containing a specific number of orbitals.

Electron Configuration

The specific arrangement of electrons in an atom's orbitals, listed with numbers and letters indicating occupied sublevels and superscript numbers of electrons.

Orbital Diagram

A visual representation of an electron configuration in which each orbital is represented by a square box and electrons are shown as arrows.

Pauli Exclusion Principle

The rule stating that an orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons, and any two electrons occupying the same orbital must have opposite spins.

Hund's Rule

The rule stating that orbitals of equal energy within the same sublevel will each receive one electron before any orbital gets a second electron.

Valence Electrons

The outermost electrons in an atom that possess the highest principal quantum number ($n$).

Core Electrons

The inner electrons in an atom that are not located in the outermost principal energy level.

Lewis Dot Symbols

Representations of main-group elements or ions in which valence electrons are shown as dots placed around the element's chemical symbol.

Ionization Energy

The amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom.

Electron Affinity

The ability of an atom to gain an electron.

Cation

A positively charged atomic ion formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

Isoelectronic

Having the same electron configuration as another species, such as an atom or ion having the same electron structure as a noble gas.