Electrons and Electron Configurations

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary related to electron configurations, quantum mechanics, and the structure of atoms as discussed in Lecture 6.

Electron Configuration

The exact arrangement of electrons in an atom’s shells and subshells.

Shell

A grouping of electrons in an atom according to energy, where the farther a shell is from the nucleus, the larger it is and the higher the energies of electrons.

Subshells

Groups of electrons within shells, identified as s, p, d, and f in order of increasing energy.

Orbitals

Regions of space within an atom where specific electrons are most likely to be found.

Electron Capacity

The maximum number of electrons that can occupy a shell.

Energy Level Diagram

A diagram used to predict the order in which orbitals are filled with electrons.