Worksheet 11 - Electronic Structure of Atoms

The Schroedinger equation defines wave equations which describe the

distribution of electrons around the nucleus. The wave functions that satisfy the
Schroedinger equation are called atomic orbitals. They define the allowed
energy states of the electrons.

The energy levels are described by three quantum numbers, n, l and ml.

n is the principal quantum number and has values of 1, 2, 3, ...

The value of n determines the size of the orbital and the energy of electrons in
that orbital.

l is the angular momentum quantum number as has values of 0 through n -1.

The value of l determines the shape of the orbital.

ml is the magnetic quantum number and has values of -l through +l and

determines the orientation of the orbital.

1. Complete the first two columns of the chart shown below for n = 1
through n = 4.

n l ml orbital name # e- total e- in level n

1 0 0 1s 2
2 0 2
1 -1, 0, 1 6
3 0

3d
4

The l = 0 orbitals are called s orbitals. The l = 1 orbitals are called p orbitals.
For l = 2, 3 and 4, they are called d, f and g orbitals. Each orbital can contain a
maximum of 2 electrons.

2. Fill in the orbital names and the number of electrons per orbital
and per energy level in the chart.

3. How many orbitals are present in each of the principal levels?

n=1 n=2 n=3 n=4 n=5

The s orbitals are spherical. They increase in size with increasing values of n.

1s 2s 3s

The p orbitals are dumbbell shaped. Each of the three p orbitals is oriented
differently in space, as shown below.

px py pz

Again, size of these orbitals increases with n.

The shapes of the d and f orbitals are more complex and are shown in the
textbook.

4. Which of the following orbitals can not exist?

1s 3p 1p 7d 3f 4s 2d 8g

5. Name the orbitals described by the following quantum numbers

(e.g. n = 2, l = 1 would be 2p)

n = 3, l = 0 n = 3, l = 2 n = 3, l = 3 n = 5, l = 0 n = 3, l = 1

6. How many orbitals in an atom can have the designation:

5p 3s n=4 4d n=3
The importance of these orbitals is apparent when we look at the Periodic
Table. Period 1 (H and He) is the n = 1 energy level. This means that there is
only one orbital (1s) available. H has 1 electron and He has 2, completely filling
the 1s orbital. Electrons in the same orbital must have different spin states ( a
4th quantum number), either spin up (↑) or spin down (↓).

s block
p block
n=1
n=2 d block
n=3
n=4
n=5
n=6
n=7

So, the electron configuration for H is 1s1 and He is 1s2, since each s orbital can
hold two electrons.

These can also be drawn out as:

H 1s __ and He 1s __

In He, the electrons are paired, one spin up and one down. Parallel spins are
not allowed in an orbital. Electron spin is the 4th quantum number, ms, with
values of +½ and -½ .

The next element is Li with 3 electrons or 1s2 2s1

The 2s orbital is higher in energy than the 1s orbital

Li 2s __

1s __

7. The next element is ______ with ___ electrons.

What is its electron configuration?

Energy level diagram?

8. Which element has 5 electrons?

Which block is it part of?

Write its electron configuration and draw its energy level diagram.
Remember that the number of orbitals changes with l .

9. Carbon has 6 electrons, 1s2 2s2 2p2. When we put a second electron in
the p orbitals, Hund's rule states that the electrons should have parallel
spins (remain unpaired) if possible. Add the electrons to the energy level
diagram of C.

2p __ __ __
2s __
1s __

10. What is the electron configuration of oxygen?

Draw the energy level diagram for oxygen.

Notice that oxygen has unpaired electrons. This means that oxygen is
paramagnetic, and will interact with magnetic fields.

11. Write out the electron configurations for Ne, Na and Al:

You may have noticed that a lot of the electron configuration is repetitive. Every
atom has 1s electrons. Comparing Ne, Na and Al shows that they are very
similar up to the configuration of Ne. There is a shorthand notation that can be
used. Na is basically [Ne] 3s1 and Al is [Ne] 3s2 3p1. The previous noble gas is
used as a summary of lower state electrons.
12. In shorthand notation, what is the electron configuration for Ca?

13. The next element is scandium. Which block is it in? Write the shorthand
electron configuration for Sc. (Hint: look at the table in question 1 to
determine orbitals)

Draw an energy level diagram for Sc.

14. Write the shorthand notation for the electron configuration of arsenic, As.

15. Arrange the following orbitals in order of increasing energy.

(Hint: use the Periodic Table for help).

1s 3s 4s 3d 4f 3p 7s 5d 5p

16. Write the shorthand electron configuration for Cl-. (How many electrons
are present?)
Shown below are four different electronic configurations of carbon:

__ __ __ __ __ __ excited state 3

__ __ __ __ __ __ excited state 2

__ __ __ __ __ __ excited state 1

__ __ __ __ __ __ ground state
1s 2s 2p 3s

The bottom configuration is the ground state (lowest energy) configuration.

The others are excited state (higher energy) configurations.

17. Describe how each excited state is different from the ground state.

What is wrong with the configuration shown below? Is it an excited state?

__ __ __ __ __ __
1s 2s 2p 4s

18. Which of the following correspond to an excited state? Identify the atoms
and write the ground state configuration if needed.

a) 1s2 2s2 3p1

b) 1s2 2s2 2p6

c) 1s2 2s2 2p4 3s1

d) [Ar] 4s2 3d5 4p1

We will only be looking at the first row of the transition metals.

19. Write the shorthand electron configuration and energy level

diagram for V.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d

20. The expected shorthand electron configuration and energy level

diagram for Cr is:

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d

This is not what is observed. Instead, one of the 4s electrons occupies one of
the 3d orbitals.

21. Write the observed shorthand electron configuration and energy

diagram for Cr.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d

Notice that this puts 5 electrons in the 3d orbitals, leaving them ½ full. There
seems to be a special stability associated with the half-full orbitals.

This also happens when the 3d orbitals are full. Zn has 10 electrons in the 3d
orbitals. Cu should have only 9 electrons in the 3d orbitals.

22. Write the shorthand electron configuration and energy diagram of

Cu with 10 electrons in the 3d orbitals, which is actually observed.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d