Question

Write the ground-state electron configurations for the following elements: Ge, Fe, \(\mathrm{Zn}, \mathrm{Ni}, \mathrm{W}, \mathrm{Tl}\).

Short answer

Ge: \[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^{10}, 4p^2\]; Fe: \[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^6\]; Zn: \[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^{10}\]; Ni: \[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^8\]; W: \[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^{10}, 4p^6, 5s^2, 4d^{10}, 5p^6, 6s^2, 4f^{14}, 5d^4\]; Tl: \[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^{10}, 4p^6, 5s^2, 4d^{10}, 5p^6, 6s^2, 4f^{14}, 5d^{10}, 6p^1\].

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Electron Configuration Notation

Electron configurations describe the distribution of electrons of an atom in atomic orbitals. The notation consists of a series of numbers and letters that denote energy levels, subshells, and the number of electrons in those subshells. For example, \(1s^2\) indicates 2 electrons in the \(s\) subshell of the first energy level.

Determine the Order of Fill for Orbitals

Electrons fill orbitals starting from the lowest energy to highest. The order of fill is given by: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p.

Write Electron Configuration for Germanium (Ge)

Ge is element number 32. Its electron configuration is written by placing electrons according to the order of fill until reaching 32 electrons: \[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^{10}, 4p^2\]

Write Electron Configuration for Iron (Fe)

Fe is element number 26. Its electron configuration is:\[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^6\]

Write Electron Configuration for Zinc (Zn)

Zn is element number 30. Its electron configuration is:\[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^{10}\]

Write Electron Configuration for Nickel (Ni)

Ni is element number 28. Its electron configuration is:\[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^8\]

Write Electron Configuration for Tungsten (W)

W is element number 74. Its electron configuration is:\[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^{10}, 4p^6, 5s^2, 4d^{10}, 5p^6, 6s^2, 4f^{14}, 5d^4\]

Write Electron Configuration for Thallium (Tl)

Tl is element number 81. Its electron configuration is:\[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^{10}, 4p^6, 5s^2, 4d^{10}, 5p^6, 6s^2, 4f^{14}, 5d^{10}, 6p^1\]

Key concepts

Atomic Orbitals

Imagine the space around the atom's nucleus is divided into regions where electrons are likely to be found. These regions are called atomic orbitals. Each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons.
Think of orbitals like parking spaces for electrons. Each parking area differs in its shape and size. There are different types of orbitals, such as:

• s orbital: Spherical shape
• p orbital: Dumbbell shape
• d orbital: More complex shapes
• f orbital: Even more complex than d orbitals

The specific shape influences how many orbitals of each type are within a subshell.

Energy Levels

Energy levels, often seen as the 'levels' in the electronic configuration, are like steps in a building. The closer they are to the nucleus, the lower their energy. In an atom, electrons prefer to occupy the lowest energy levels available, which is known as the Aufbau principle.
The further you move from the nucleus, the higher the energy level:

• First energy level: can only hold an s orbital
• Second energy level: can have both s and p orbitals
• Third energy level: s, p, and d orbitals are present
• Higher levels: might include f orbitals

Each energy level can only hold a specific number of electrons. For example, the first level can hold 2 electrons, while higher levels can accommodate more.

Subshells

Each energy level contains subshells, which are collections of orbitals of the same type. Subshells contribute to how electrons are arranged in an atom, influencing the chemical and physical properties of elements.
The four main types of subshells, named after the shape of their orbitals, are:

• s subshell: 1 orbital, holds up to 2 electrons
• p subshell: 3 orbitals, holds up to 6 electrons
• d subshell: 5 orbitals, holds up to 10 electrons
• f subshell: 7 orbitals, holds up to 14 electrons

The notation, like 1s or 3d, identifies the subshell. The number before the letter marks the energy level.

Electron Distribution

Electron distribution refers to how electrons are allocated among the various orbitals in an atom. This distribution follows some fundamental rules:

• Pauli Exclusion Principle: An orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons with opposite spins.
• Hund's Rule: Electrons will fill an empty orbital before pairing up in a filled one within a subshell.
• Aufbau Principle: Electrons occupy the lowest energy orbitals available before moving to higher energy levels.

Electron configurations give a pictorial description of how electrons are distributed in an atom. For example, in Germanium ( ext{Ge} ext{} ), the configuration \[1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, 3d^{10}, 4p^2\] follows these rules, filling from lowest to highest energy orbitals until all electrons are accounted for.