The Periodic Table and Electron Configuration Access the link \"Periodic Table\"

Question

The Periodic Table and Electron Configuration

Access the link "Periodic Table" which contains an interactive Periodic Table. It is located at the bottom of the Module 13 links. By clicking on the element's symbol you can access interesting information about the element. You will see the electrons fill in to the s, p, and d orbitals. Section 12.9 of the text gives the total number of electrons in each "shell" of the atoms. In the first shell, called the "K" shell, only 2 electrons "fill" the shell. In the second shell, called the "L" shell, a total of 8 electrons can reside. In the "M" shell a total of 18 electrons can reside.

There are sub-shells within the main energy shells of the atom. Each main energy shell contains a sub-shell called an "s" orbital. The s orbitals can contain only 2 electrons. The K shell has only s orbitals. The L shell has an s orbital and p orbitals. The p subshell can contain a maximum of 6 electrons. So the total for the L shell is 2 electrons in the s orbitaal and 6 electrons in the p orbitals, for a total of 8 electrons. The M shell contains s, p, and d orbitals. The maximum number of electrons is 2 in the s, 6 in the p, and 10 in the d subshells.

Procedure: Go through the first 20 elements in the chart. Note and record which orbital contains the additional electron. (The various orbitals are given in the upper right area of the Table.) The filling process is fairly straight forward to this point in the Periodic Table, but becomes a little more complex as outer orbitals are filled. Using a Word document you can write the electronic configurations by using the "superscript" function. Click on each element and write electronic configurations for elements number 21 through 36. What happens when going from Vanadium to Chromium? What happens when going from Nickel to Copper?

Explanation / Answer

Electronic configuration of elements scandium (atomic number 21) to krypton (atomic number 36) is given below.

21Sc - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d1 4s2

22Ti - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d2 4s2

23V - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d3 4s2

24Cr - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d5 4s1

25Mn - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d5 4s2

26Fe - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d6 4s2

27Co - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d7 4s2

28Ni - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d8 4s2

29Cu - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s1

30Zn - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2

31Ga - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p1

32Ge - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p2

33As - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p3

34Se - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p4

35Br - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p5

36Kr - 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6

3d orbitals are having more energy than 4s orbitals. Thus in case of d block elements 4s orbital gets filled before 3d orbital. But there are two exceptions, Cr and Cu. In case of Cr outer electronic configuration is 3d5 4s1. Half filled d orbital is more stable (lower energy) than partially filled d orbital. Thus the valence electron goes to 3d orbital to get half filled electronic configuration. In case of Cu outer electronic configuration is 3d10 4s1. Completely filled d orbital is more stable (lower energy) than partially filled d orbital. Thus the valence electron goes to 3d orbital to get completely filled electronic configuration.

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