There are many types of rules for electron configuration. Look at the Aufbau principle and Hund's rules.
- In each orbital there is a maximum of two electrons.
- In a "s" orbital, there are two electrons.
- In a "p" orbital, there are three sub-orbitals, each containing two electrons. (Thus containing 6 electrons)
- In a "d" orbital, there are five sub-orbitals, each containing two electrons. (Thus containing 10 electrons)
- In a "f" orbital, there are seven sub-orbitals, each containing two electrons. (Thus containing 14 electrons)
Look at the Aufbau diagram linked below.
The coefficient represents the orbital. Do not use mathematics to try to solve the configurations.
1s
2 2s
2 2p
6 : Neon's Electron Configuration
The letter following the coefficient describes which type of orbital it is, being s, p, d, or f.
The superscript denotes the number of electrons it contains. If you add 2, 2, and 6, you would get 10, Neon's atomic number.
Electron configurations become stable when they are neutrally charged.
i.e Li: 1s
2 2s
1 This is a stable electron configuration. However, if you lose that one electron,
Li: 1s
2 It become a positively charged ion, called a cation.
