Electron Orbitals

[Fromage]

I just learned about the Aufbau chart, and I used it to determine the orbitals of atoms with 8 and 10 electrons.

 

Atom with 8 Electrons:

1s2, 2s2, 2px1, 2py1, 2pz1, 3s1

 

Atom with 10 Electrons:

1s2, 2s2, 2px1, 2py1, 2pz1, 3s2, 3px1

 

Are these right??

[encipher]

No, they are incorrect.

 

You must remember that each orbital much hold a certian amount of electrons before electrons begin filling an orbital of higher energy level.

 

The S subshell can only take 2 electrons. The P subshell can only take 6, the D subshell can only take 10 electrons etc..

 

Therefore, if an atom has 8 electrons it would be as follows:

 

1S2 2S2 2P4.. as for the 2P4, there are two electrons in Px, 1 in Py and 1 in Pz

 

Now, using that info, try to do an atom with 10 electrons.

[Fromage]

For 10 electrons: 1s2, 2s2, 2p6 (px2, py2, pz2)?

[Darkblade48]

Looks correct

[insane_alien]

can i jsut ask why you put it in the format of 2p(x/y/z) this really isn't necessary.

[woelen]

In reality, the p-orbitals are perpendicular to each other, so it makes sense to speak of x, y and z orientations, but the choice of which is x, y, and z is arbitrary.

 

So, the answer of encipher, with two electrons in the p-x orbital and one in y, and z, could also be 2 in any other orbital and one in the remaining two.

 

For practical situations, however, the abbreviated notations, disregarding the x, y and z orientations is used frequently.