Electron Configuration- Orbital Notation Notes
Important Information to remember:
EVERY subshell can hold up to ______ electrons.
The s orbital can hold up to ________ electrons.
The p orbitals can hold up to ________ electrons.
The d orbitals can hold up to ________ electrons.
The f orbitals can hold up to __________ electrons.
The ____________ (pronounced OFF-ba) diagram tells how the electrons fill the orbitals. Draw this
diagram below. Be sure to add the arrows! (page 135 in your text)
Hund’s rule states that electrons must be placed successively in each _______________ of a
sublevel first before additional electrons can occupy the same orbitals
The __________________ Exclusion principle states that when 2 electrons must occupy the same
orbital, they will have ____________________ spins. One will be symbolized by an _____________
arrow and the other by a _____________ arrow in a box or line. Such an example looks like this:
Lab #4: Orbital Notation Lab
Materials
cups
(represent the sublevel(orbitals))
bingo chips (2 different colors for the clockwise and counterclockwise spins)
Procedure:
You will rotate to each station and complete TWO configurations at each station. Electron
configuration for neon looks like this: 1s2 2 s2 2 p6. Take special notice to write the energy levels in
large numbers, the orbital in lowercase letters, and the number of electrons in superscript above the
letter. Orbital notation will be drawn using the lines and arrows.
1. Find your labeled cups and place in the proper filling order designated by the Aufbau diagram,
2. As you visit each station, fill in the chart for each element by writing in the electron
configuration for that element.
3. Put the correct number of electrons (symbolized by the chips) into the orbitals of the
subshells (cups) that have been set up. One color will represent the clockwise spin and the
other color will represent the counterclockwise spin.
4. Using the model you have just created, draw the correct orbital notation for each element in
the chart.
5. Count the number of electrons in the highest energy level cups and add the “valence electrons
number” to your chart.
Analysis- (answer these on the back of this lab sheet)
1. Which of the above elements had their final electron in the “s” sublevel?
2. Which element(s) had their subshells completely filled?
3. Which element(s) had their subshells completely half filled?
4. Which element(s) had their subshells partially filled?
Station #
Element
1. K
1. F
2. Sn
2. Al
3. Ba
3. Zn
4. Fe
4. P
5. Ti
5. Se
6. Kr
6. Co
7. S
7. Ni
Electron Configuration
Orbital Notation
Valence
Electrons