key

Name: ___________________________________________________________ Period: _________

Lecture 8
Atomic Structure and Electron Configuration (AP Chemistry Topic 1.5)
Student Notes

Enduring Understanding Learning Objective(s)

• Atoms and molecules can be identified by their • Represent the electron configuration of an element or
electron distribution and energy ions of an element using the Aufbau principle.

The Bohr Model of the Atom

The nucleus of an atom is positively charged, and it contains protons and neutrons.

Negatively charged electrons are travel in

defined circular orbits
__________________________________________ around the nucleus.

jump from one orbit to another by absorbing or emitting

Electrons can _________
energy
_____________

The Quantum Mechanical Model of the Atom

The early twentieth century scientists discovered that the

absolutely small world of electrons
world
quantum
(_______________________________) behaves very differently
macroscopic world we are used to
from the large (_____________________)
observing.

When unobserved, electrons can be in two different states at the

same time but upon observation, the electron is forced into one
“Anyone who is not shocked by quantum mechanics
state or another. has not understood it.” -Niels Bohr

The quantum mechanical model explains the strange behavior of “I don’t like it, and I’m sorry I ever had anything to do
electrons. with it.” -Erwin Schrodinger

“God does not play dice with the universe.” -Albert

Einstein

In the quantum mechanical model of the atom, electrons

are found in “clouds” which are called orbitals

orbital is a region where there is a greater

An _______________
probability of finding an electron. The
than 90% __________________
exact location of an electron cannot be determined. The
orbitals are simply probability maps that tell us where they
could be found.

When the wave function (Schrodinger’s Equation) is solved,

quantum numbers
it gives us _______________ _________________which
describe the location, shape and size of the orbitals
 The Quantum Numbers

By solving the Schrödinger equation, we obtain 4 quantum numbers (n, l, ml, ms) which describe the
__________________ location
probable _________________of the electrons around the nucleus of an atom. No two electrons can
have the same set of 4 quantum numbers.

Name Simple Description Values Notes

n Principal quantum number distance

_________________ 1, 2, 3, …n Corresponds to the period on the periodic
from the nucleus table for s and p blocks

l Angular momentum snape

_________________ 0, 1, 2, …n-1 0 = s (spherical shape)
quantum number of the orbital 1 = p (dumbbell shape)
(Azimuthal) 2=d

ml Magnetic quantum number Orientation

_________________ -l, …-1, 0, 1, s = 1 orientation
of the orbital …l p = 3 orientations (px, py, pz)
d = 5 orientations

ms Spin quantum number Spin of the

___________ +½, -½ Only 2 electrons can fit into each orbital.
electron They are described as spin up or spin
down

Note: AP Chemistry does not require that you know how to assign quantum numbers to electrons in their orbitals
 Orbital Shapes
p orbitals
s orbitals
The p orbital has a dumbbell shape.
The simplest orbital is the s orbital and it has a
spherical shape. There are 3 p orbitals in each shell starting at n=2
2 electrons
Each s orbital can hold ________________________ Each p orbital can hold 2 electrons, so 3 p orbitals can
6 electrons
hold ________________________

d orbitals f orbitals
The d orbital has a cloverleaf shape. The f orbitals are very complex and have more lobes
than d orbitals.
There are 5 d orbitals in each shell starting at n=3
There are 7 f orbitals starting at n = 4.
Each d orbital can hold 2 electrons, so 5 d orbitals can
10 electrons
hold ____________________________ Each f orbital can hold 2 electrons so 7 f orbitals can
14 electrons
hold ____________________________

Energy Level Possible Number of

Shapes Electrons

n=1 s 2
The first shell is small and only has room for the 1s orbital.
s The second shell is larger and there is room for a 2s orbital and
n=2 8
p a set of 3 2p orbitals.

s The third shell is even larger and there is room for a 3s orbital,
n=3 p 18 a set of 3p orbitals and a set of 5 3d orbitals
d
How many electrons can be found in the 4th shell?
s 32
________________
p
n=4 ?
d
f
 The exponents in the
Electron Configurations
electron configuration
should add up to the
Electron Configurations are a way of describing the atomic number in a
arrangement of electrons within an atom. It
_________________________ neutral atom
shows which orbitals are occupied by electrons for that atom

ground state
The ___________________________electron configuration
lowest energy
is the ___________________________ state electron
configuration for an atom. A
higher energy
________________________arrangement is called the
excited state
_____________________________

Order of Orbital Filling

S block
p-block

2 2
d-block
3 3

4 3 4

5 S
4
6
5
7 7

4
f-block
5
 Write the ground state electron configuration for Noble Gas Abbreviations
each of the following elements
We can shorten electron configurations by using noble gas
Hydrogen: noble
abbreviations. We begin with the ____________
Is' gas out the configuration from there.
_________the precedes the element in brackets and carry

Helium:
Is Calcium:

Nitrogen:
[Ar] 452
1s22s" 2p Silicon:

Sulfur: [Ne] 3523p2

15252p35344 Tungsten:
*
[xe] 6524f
*

Manganese: 5d
-
Cesium:
15252p3534453d
Palladium: (Xe] 6s
15252p3534453d4p"5s24d8
Ions Excited State Configurations

isoelectronic (same
Ions are typically ______________________ Excited state configurations have electrons moved into a
noble
number of electrons) with a ____________ gas
_______. _____________ ___________ or subshell. In an excited
To write the electron configuration for an ion, first state configuration, the lower subshells may not be
determine the number of electrons in the ion and use completely filled.
that as your guide for writing the configuration
Write the ground state and an excited state electron
Write the ground state electron configuration for the configuration for the following elements:
following ions:

Ca2+:
1522522p"353pP Mg

1522522p" 3s
[Ne] 3s344 Ground state:

Ar
Which element is this ion isoelectronic with? _______ Excited state: Is"2s" 2p"3s' 3p'
N3-: 1522522p P
[He]2s2p> Ground state: 1522522p"3523p3
Ne
Which element is this ion isoelectronic with? _______
Excited state: 1522522p"3s' 3p"

ANote:Thereare man ite State

configuration
.
 Orbital Diagrams

lowest subshells first and build up.

1. Aufbau principle: electrons are added to the ____________________________________

2. Hund’s Rule: each subshell should have one electron before any are doubled up.

3. Pauli Exclusion Principle: no two electrons can have the same set of 4 quantum numbers. If 2 electrons share
an orbital, they cannot have the ________ spin
same _________.

Draw an orbital diagram for Nitrogen

Draw an orbital diagram for Nickel
152252p
1. What is the electron configuration for Nickel?
IV 12 1 1 1
15252p3534453d8 15 25
2p
2. Fill the electrons in the orbital diagram according
to the Aufbau principle, Hund’s rule, and the Draw an orbital diagram for Titanium
Pauli exclusion principle

1 I
IV
3d
IV IV 11 1 1 45
IV 12 TV TV

IVIV IV IV 3p
1 35
12 TV TV
IV IV IV IV
2p
1 25

IV

11 15

Draw an orbital diagram for Bromine Draw an orbital diagram for Niobium

IV IV 1

3p IV TV I2 In IV
IV
111
45 3d 1V
12 TV TV In IV Tr Ir fr er Tr 12
IV
IV 3p Ir Ir TV
15
35
12 TV TV IV IV 12
IV IV
2p
25
1V
IV
15
 Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the electrons found in the

outermost shell
________________________________. All other electrons
core
are called _____________ electrons.

The number of valence electrons can be determined by the

atoms electron configuration; the valence electrons are
highest
found in the orbitals associated with the _______________
occupied energy level
______________________________________

Magnetism

Molecules with one or more unpaired electrons are attracted to a magnetic field. The more unpaired electrons in a
species, the stronger the attractive force. This type of magnetic behavior is called
paramagnetism
_____________________________.

Substances with no unpaired electrons are weakly repelled by a magnetic field. This property is called
diamagnetism
________________________. The Pauli Exclusion Principle ensures that paired electrons have opposite spins so
their magnetic properties cancel out.
 Electromagnetic Forces

charged particles
Much of chemistry is governed by the forces that exist between ______________________________________.

repulsion between __________________________

The forces of __________________ like charges attraction
and _____________________ between
opposite charges ___are enormously important in determining the stability and properties of the
_________________________________
atoms that make up everything in the universe.

Whenever possible, AP Chemistry requires explanations based on fundamental mathematical relationships such as
Coulomb's Law
_________________________________.

Note: You will never need to use Coulomb’s Law to perform calculations, but you will need to describe it in your
explanations.

Coulomb’s Law

The strength of these electromagnetic forces are determined

by two factors:

amount of charge (q1 and q2)

•The _________________________________
• F ∝ q1 x q 2
• The greater the charges, the greater the force of
attraction
• +3 and -3 charges have a stronger attraction than
+1 and -1 charges.
distance between charges
•The ____________________________________________(r)
• F ∝ 1 / r2
• The closer the charges are to each other, the
stronger the force of attraction
• Electrons in the 1s shell are much more strongly
attracted to the nucleus than electrons in the 3p Coulomb’s Law, Shielding, and Ionization Energy
shell because the distance is smaller.
Ionization energy is the minimum amount of energy
required to remove an electron from an atom.

It takes much less energy to remove an electron from a

valence shell because the force of attraction is lower due
distance from the nucleus
larger ________________
to the __________
lower
and the ___________ charge
_____________experienced by those
shielding
electrons due to ________________ (Coulomb’s Law)

lower
valence shell have ___________
Electrons in the _____________
ionization energies
____________________________than core electrons.
Shielding

In addition to a larger distance, the electrons that are on

the valence shell experience less of the nuclear pull
because the electrons that are in the core of the atom
shield the attraction
_____________________________________________
of the nucleus from the valence electrons.

The effective nuclear charge (Zeff) that valence electrons

experience is significantly lower than the actual nuclear
charge