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, showing how electrons occupy atomic orbitals.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator determines the electron configuration based on the atomic number:

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 from lowest to highest energy following specific rules that determine an atom's chemical properties.

3. Importance of Electron Configuration

Details: Electron configuration determines an element's chemical properties, reactivity, and position in the periodic table. It explains periodic trends and helps predict how elements will form bonds.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter either the atomic number (1-118) or the element name. The calculator will display the complete ground-state electron configuration.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What are the exceptions to the Aufbau principle?
A: Some elements like Cr and Cu have exceptions where a half-filled or completely filled d subshell is more stable.

Q2: How does electron configuration relate to the periodic table?
A: The periodic table is organized by electron configuration - elements in the same group have similar valence electron configurations.

Q3: What's the difference between ground state and excited state configurations?
A: Ground state is the lowest energy configuration, while excited states have electrons promoted to higher orbitals.

Q4: How do you write configurations for ions?
A: For cations, remove electrons from the highest energy orbitals first. For anions, add electrons to the next available orbital.

Q5: Why does 4s fill before 3d?
A: Due to the relative energies of the orbitals - 4s is lower energy than 3d for neutral atoms in their ground state.