1. What is Electron Configuration?

Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom's electron shells and subshells. It follows the Aufbau principle, Pauli exclusion principle, and Hund's rule.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator provides the ground-state electron configuration for selected elements:

Where:

• Numbers (1, 2, 3) represent principal energy levels
• Letters (s, p, d, f) represent subshells
• Superscripts represent number of electrons in each subshell

Explanation: Electrons fill orbitals starting from the lowest energy level following the Aufbau principle.

3. Importance of Electron Configuration

Details: Electron configuration determines an element's chemical properties, reactivity, and position in the periodic table.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Simply select an element from the dropdown menu and click "Calculate" to see its electron configuration.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the Aufbau principle?
A: Electrons occupy the lowest energy orbitals available first.

Q2: What are valence electrons?
A: Electrons in the outermost shell that participate in chemical bonding.

Q3: Why do some elements have exceptions?
A: Some elements (like Cr, Cu) have more stable configurations with half-filled or fully-filled subshells.

Q4: What's the difference between ground state and excited state?
A: Ground state is the lowest energy configuration, while excited state has electrons in higher energy orbitals.

Q5: How does electron configuration relate to the periodic table?
A: Elements in the same group have similar valence electron configurations, giving them similar chemical properties.