E

Electron Configuration

What is Electron Configuration?

Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom among its atomic orbitals. Electrons fill orbitals in order of increasing energy following the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle. For example, the electron configuration of sodium (Z=11) is 1s²2s²2p⁶3s¹.

Key Facts

Term Electron Configuration

Frequently Asked Questions

Electron configuration describes the distribution of electrons in an atom among its atomic orbitals. Electrons fill orbitals in order of increasing energy following the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle. For example, the electron configuration of sodium (Z=11) is 1s²2s²2p⁶3s¹.

More "E" Terms

View all "E" terms →
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z