# Questions tagged [electronic-configuration]

In atomic physics and quantum chemistry, the electron configuration is the distribution of electrons of an atom or molecule (or other physical structure) in atomic or molecular orbitals.

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### Are these correct?

We were tasked to write the electronic configuration of the elements in the third energy level. My answers are: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 ...
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### Electron configuration using periodic table [closed]

I need to find electron configuration for an element beyond 118 (I don't want to tell the element's atomic number 'cause I need to find the electronic configuration). I'm able to find electronic ...
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### Why does Co(I) have a 3d8 configuration?

Why is the electron configuration of $\ce{Co^+}$ $[\ce{Ar}](\mathrm{3d})^8$? Since neutral $\ce{Co}$ itself has a $[\ce{Ar}](\mathrm{4s})^2(\mathrm{3d})^7$ configuration, wouldn't the ionised electron ...
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### Why does iron lose two electrons?

We know that the electronic configuration of iron is $\ce{[Ar]}\mathrm{(3d)^6 (4s)^2}$. I understand that $\ce{Fe}$ loses three electrons to have a half-filled $\mathrm{d}$ orbital, but why does it ...
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### Slater's Rule and penetrating power contradiction

If we consider a 4s electron then it will be affected by 3d and 3p both (among others). Now 3d has slater's constant as 1.00 but 3p has slater's constant as 0.85, however 3d has poor shielding, then ...
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### Stability of oxidation states in chromium and manganese [duplicate]

Why is $\ce{Cr^2+}$a reducing agent and $\ce{Mn^3+}$an oxidising agent? If an electron is added, both of the atoms attain $\mathrm d^5$ configuration which is half filled and completely stable. Some ...
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### Why do actinium and thorium donot have electrons in f orbitals? [duplicate]

The reason for the exceptional configuration of actinium and thorium
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### How can I solve a problem like this, “what is the eletronic distribution of Iron in layers”

What is the eletronic distribution in layers of Fe? a) 2 – 8 – 10 – 2. b) 2 – 8 – 12. c) 2 – 8 – 8 – 4. d) 2 – 8 – 18 – 18 – 8 – 2. e) 2 – 8 – 14 – 2. What is the ...
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### In metal complex electron counting, is the neutral or ionic formalism more correct?

I have been practicing finding total valence electron counts by both methods, and a few points have arisen that have confused me. 1) Which method gives the true d-electron count? From what I ...
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### Electron configuration of non-hybridized carbon

I'm currently learning about orbital hybridization in carbon. I see that carbon has an electron configuration of 1s2 2s2 2p2. However, there are actually three p-orbitals in the second shell, namely ...
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### Viewing and capturing real time values of Electronic balance measuring instrument on television set and computer monitor larger screens [closed]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weighing_scale Is it possible to view and capture real time values of Electronic balance measuring instrument using wired, wireless,CCTV technology on television set or ...
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### Why does the Most Stable State of an Atom Tend to be One with Full s and p Subshells?

I'm new to posting on stack exchange, although I've read a lot of it before. This question seems like it might end up being marked as a duplicate, but I've looked through a lot of the similar ...
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### Can someone help me figure out what the noble gas configurations for zirconium and holmium are? [closed]

I am currently working on noble gas configurations in chemistry and I am having a hard time understanding why I got two questions wrong on a practice. The instructions for the practice are here: Write ...
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### Why aren't elements with two valence shell electrons stable?

We all know that hydrogen becomes stable by completing duplet and helium is stable since its valence shell has completed the duplet Still, other elements don't behave like that. I want to know that ...
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### Do higher orbitals have more energy or less energy? [duplicate]

I've recently learned that as an orbital gets larger, its energy gets closer to 0. Before this, I learned that when an electron moves down an orbital it releases the energy difference between those ...
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### When does replacing a double bond with a lone pair result in a valid resonance structure?

Take molecules A and B below. In A, we can move the electrons from the green pi bond into a lone pair on oxygen, then move the blue lone pair of electrons from the other oxygen to form a new π bond, ...
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### Why do you count both bonding electrons towards an atom's octet, but you only count one of them towards the atom's charge? [duplicate]

For example, oxygen is neutral when it has just 6 electrons. But the pink O in the molecule pictured has 3 bonds giving it 8 electrons, a full-octet. It's more electronegative than all the atoms it's ...
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### Why do the lanthanides and actinides have a 5d and 6d orbital, respectively? [duplicate]

I was taught in school that the rare earth metals were the $\mathrm{f}$-orbital group. Additionally, the Aufbau principle states that the order of orbitals based on energy levels is $\mathrm{6s4f5d}$ ...
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### How to determine the efficiency of intermolecular charge transfer?

Lets say we have 2 molecules: A and B. Both of these molecules associate with another molecule C. Upon association two complexes form A-C and B-C. We can experimentally see that upon association a new ...
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### Electron configuration of iron(I) cation

What is the electron configuration of $\ce{Fe+}$ cation? \begin{align} \ce{Fe+} &\!:~ [\ce{Ar}]\mathrm{(3d)^6(4s)^1}\label{chm:1}\tag{1}\\ \ce{Fe+} &\!:~ [\ce{Ar}]\mathrm{(3d)^7(4s)^0}\label{...
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### Book Recommendation for Molecular Orbital Theory [duplicate]

I posting my question here since I have seen similar questions but I haven't found the specific answer I am searching for. I am seeking textbook recommendations on Molecular Orbital Theory with ...
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### How can an element have two outermost shells incomplete? [closed]

As I read my book, I saw its written that the Transition metals have two outermost shells incomplete. But , as I had read earlier, that shells are filled in stepwise manner. So how is this possible? ...
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### Why does covalent bonding not break down if observer effect can be applied to atomic electrons? [closed]

The observer effect in quantum mechanics states that when unobserved, quantum particles such as electrons can simultaneously occupy two different states. In an atom of any element, where there are ...
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### How to calculate electric force on valence electron?

In order to understand the periodic trends more fully, I wanted to calculate the net force exerted on the electron (with the highest principal quantum number and azimuthal quantum number) of an atom. ...
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### Analysis of post-HF wavefunctions

Hartree-Fock method introduces electron (spin)orbitals and they are commonly used for qualitative rationalization of many molecular properties. However, MOs have meaning only if we ignore electron ...
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### Why do subshells and orbitals exist? [closed]

I'm just a curious high school student. Sorry if this sounds dumb. How exactly did the concept of atomic subshells and orbitals come about? And why exactly are there n-1 subshells and 2l+1 orbitals? ...
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### Alkali metals chemistry [closed]

Ok my understanding of the electronic structure of atoms could be wrong but this is why I don't understand:Why alkali metals are so much electropositive. Some high school professor in chemistry would ...