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. Oxygen's Electron Configuration

Oxygen (atomic number 8) has the electron configuration:

This means:

• 2 electrons in the 1s orbital
• 2 electrons in the 2s orbital
• 4 electrons in the 2p orbitals

3. Importance of Electron Configuration

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

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: This calculator provides the standard electron configuration for oxygen. For other elements, you would need to calculate based on atomic number.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why does oxygen have this configuration?
A: Following the Aufbau principle, electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first (1s before 2s before 2p).

Q2: How many valence electrons does oxygen have?
A: Oxygen has 6 valence electrons (2 in 2s and 4 in 2p orbitals).

Q3: Why is oxygen's configuration written as 2p⁴?
A: The superscript indicates the number of electrons in that subshell (p subshell can hold up to 6 electrons).

Q4: What's the orbital diagram for oxygen?
A: The 2p orbitals would have one electron in each of two orbitals and two electrons in the third orbital (following Hund's rule).

Q5: How does this relate to oxygen's position in the periodic table?
A: Oxygen is in group 16 (VIA) and period 2, which corresponds to its 6 valence electrons and 2 electron shells.