🧪 Quantum Numbers and Electron

Configuration Notes

🔹 1. What Are Quantum Numbers?

Quantum numbers are a set of four specific

numbers that describe the location and
properties of an electron in an atom.
They function like coordinates that describe where
an electron is and how it behaves.

⚙️Key Points

 Each electron in an atom is described by four

quantum numbers:
1. Principal quantum number (n)
2. Orbital angular momentum quantum
number (ℓ)
3. Magnetic quantum number (mℓ)
4. Spin quantum number (ms)
 These numbers specify the energy, shape,
orientation, and spin of the electron.
 According to the Pauli Exclusion Principle,
no two electrons in an atom can have the
same set of four quantum numbers.
 When an atom absorbs or emits energy, its
electrons may jump between energy levels —
changing their quantum numbers.

🔹 2. Principal Quantum Number (n)

Symbo
Meaning Range Determines
l
n Principal n = 1, The distance of the
energy level 2, 3, 4... electron from the
Symbo
Meaning Range Determines
l
nucleus and overall
or shell
energy

🧩 Details

 Maximum electrons per shell = 2n²

(e.g. n=1 → 2 electrons; n=2 → 8 electrons;
n=3 → 18 electrons)
 n = 1 → ground state (lowest energy)
 Electrons can absorb energy and jump to
higher shells (excited states) or emit energy
and drop back (emission).

🔹 3. Orbital Angular Momentum Quantum

Number (ℓ)

Symbo
Meaning Range Determines
l
Subshell or ℓ=0→ The shape of the
ℓ
orbital shape (n−1) orbital

🌀 Subshell Types

Subshel
ℓ value Shape
l
s 0 spherical
p 1 dumbbell
d 2 clover-shaped
f 3 complex

🔸 Relationship Between n and ℓ

 For n = 1 → ℓ = 0 → s subshell
 For n = 2 → ℓ = 0, 1 → s and p
 For n = 3 → ℓ = 0, 1, 2 → s, p, d
  For n = 4 → ℓ = 0, 1, 2, 3 → s, p, d, f

🔹 4. Magnetic Quantum Number (mℓ)

Symbo
Range Determines
l
−ℓ → 0 → Orientation of the orbital in
mℓ
+ℓ space

Examples:

Possible mℓ
ℓ Number of orbitals
values
00 1 orbital (s)
1 −1, 0, +1 3 orbitals (px, py, pz)
2 −2, −1, 0, +1, +2 5 orbitals (d)
3 −3 → +3 7 orbitals (f)

🔹 5. Spin Quantum Number (ms)

Symbo Possible
Meaning
l Values
Direction of electron spin
ms +½ or −½
(“spin up” or “spin down”)

 Every orbital can hold 2 electrons with

opposite spins.

🔹 6. Pauli Exclusion Principle

No two electrons in an atom can have the

same set of four quantum numbers.
  Each orbital can hold a maximum of two
electrons, one with ms = +½ and one with
ms = −½.
 Explains why electrons must “pair” with
opposite spins.

🧮 Subshell Capacities

Subshel Orbital
Max electrons
l s
s 1 2
p 3 6
d 5 10
f 7 14

🔹 7. Hund’s Rule

Electrons fill degenerate orbitals (same

energy level) singly before pairing up.

Example:
Nitrogen (Z = 7) → 1s² 2s² 2p³
Each p orbital gets one electron before any pairing
occurs.

🔹 8. Aufbau Principle

Electrons fill orbitals starting from the

lowest energy level to the highest.

Order of Filling (Energy Sequence):

1s → 2s → 2p → 3s → 3p → 4s → 3d → 4p → 5s → 4d
→ 5p → 6s → 4f → 5d → 6p → 7s → 5f → 6d → 7p
💡 Mnemonic:
1s 2s 2p 3s 3p 4s 3d 4p 5s 4d 5p 6s 4f 5d 6p
7s

🔹 9. Electron Configuration

 Shows how electrons are distributed among

orbitals.
 Example:

o H → 1s¹
o He → 1s²
o Na → 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹

 Electrons fill according to Aufbau, Pauli, and

Hund rules.

✳️Condensed Notation

 Represent core (inner) electrons by noble gas

symbols:

o Na → [Ne] 3s¹
o Fe → [Ar] 4s² 3d⁶

🔹 10. Exceptions in Electron Configuration

Some transition metals deviate for stability

reasons:

Element Expected Actual

Cr (24) [Ar] 4s² 3d⁴ [Ar] 4s¹ 3d⁵
Cu (29) [Ar] 4s² 3d⁹ [Ar] 4s¹ 3d¹⁰

✅ Reason: Half-filled (d⁵) and fully-filled (d¹⁰)

subshells are more stable.
🔹 11. Electron Configurations of Ions

 Cations (+): Electrons are removed from the

outermost shell (highest n) first.

o Na → [Ne] 3s¹ → Na⁺ → [Ne]

o Cu → [Ar] 4s¹ 3d¹⁰ → Cu²⁺ → [Ar] 3d⁹

 Anions (−): Electrons are added to fill

orbitals to a noble gas configuration.

o F → [He] 2s² 2p⁵ → F⁻ → [He] 2s² 2p⁶

🔹 12. Blocks of the Periodic Table

Subshel
Block Groups Elements
l
s- Alkali & Alkaline
s 1–2 + He
block Earth metals
p- Main group
p 13–18
block elements
d-
d 3–12 Transition metals
block
Lanthanides & Inner transition
f-block f
Actinides elements

🧭 Summary

Principle Description
Aufbau
Fill lowest energy orbitals first
Principle
Pauli Exclusion No two electrons share the same
Principle 4 quantum numbers
Fill degenerate orbitals singly
Hund’s Rule
before pairing
 Principle Description
Quantum
Defin
Numbers

QUANTUM NUMBERS — FOR DUMMIES

🔹 What They Are

Quantum numbers are like the “address” of an

electron — they tell you exactly where an
electron is in an atom and what it’s doing.
Each electron has 4 unique numbers that
describe:

1. Its energy level (shell)

2. The shape of its orbital
3. The orientation (direction) of that orbital
4. Its spin direction

No two electrons in the same atom can have the

same four quantum numbers — this is called the
Pauli Exclusion Principle.

⚙️THE FOUR QUANTUM NUMBERS

1️⃣Principal Quantum Number (n)

 Symbol: n
 It tells you which shell (energy level) the
electron is in.
 Think of it like the “floor number” in a building.
 Values: n = 1, 2, 3, 4, …
 Bigger n = higher energy and farther
from nucleus.
 Maximum electrons per shell: 2n²
 Shell Max
n Example
name electrons
1K 2 1s²
2L 8 2s² 2p⁶
3M 18 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰
4N 32 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴

🟢 Ground state: electron in lowest energy shell

🔴 Excited state: electron jumps to higher shell
(absorbs energy)
When it drops back down, it emits energy as light
(emission).

2️⃣Orbital Angular Momentum Quantum

Number (ℓ)

 Symbol: ℓ (L lowercase)
 It tells the shape of the orbital.
 ℓ depends on n → possible values are 0 to (n–
1).

Subshells
n Possible ℓ values
present
10 s
2 0, 1 s, p
3 0, 1, 2 s, p, d
4 0, 1, 2, 3 s, p, d, f
Subshel
ℓ Shape Max electrons
l
0s Sphere 2
1p Dumbbell 6
2d Cloverleaf 10
3f Complex 14

👉 Each shell (n) has the same number of

subshells as its value of n.
3️⃣Magnetic Quantum Number (mℓ)

 Symbol: mℓ
 Tells you which orbital within a subshell the
electron is in — basically, its orientation in
space.
 Possible values: –ℓ → 0 → +ℓ
 The number of orbitals = (2ℓ + 1).

Subshel Possible mℓ # of
ℓ Examples
l values orbitals
s 00 1 1s
p 1 –1, 0, +1 3 pₓ, p_y, p_z
d 2 –2, –1, 0, +1, +2 5 d₁–d₅
f 3 –3 → +3 7 f₁–f₇

🧩 Each orbital can hold 2 electrons, one spinning

up and one spinning down.

4️⃣Spin Quantum Number (ms)

 Symbol: ms
 It tells which way the electron is spinning.
 Values: +½ (spin up) or –½ (spin down).
 Each orbital holds two electrons with
opposite spins.

⚖️THE PAULI EXCLUSION PRINCIPLE

No two electrons in an atom can have the

same four quantum numbers.

 Each orbital holds a maximum of two

electrons.
 These two must have opposite spins:
 o One spin up (↑) = +½
o One spin down (↓) = –½

Subshel # of
Max Electrons
l Orbitals
s 1 2
p 3 6
d 5 10
f 7 14

🧠 Example:

 Hydrogen (1s¹): n=1, ℓ=0, mℓ=0, ms=+½

 Helium (1s²): n=1, ℓ=0, mℓ=0, ms=+½ and –
½

🧩 HUND’S RULE

Electrons fill each orbital singly first,

before they start pairing up.

This means electrons prefer being unpaired if

possible — like people taking empty seats before
sharing.

Example:

 Nitrogen (Z=7) → 1s² 2s² 2p³

The 3 p-electrons will occupy three separate
orbitals (↑ ↑ ↑).

🧮 AUFBAU PRINCIPLE

Electrons fill lowest energy orbitals

first, then move up.
Order of filling (important!):
1s → 2s → 2p → 3s → 3p → 4s → 3d → 4p → 5s → 4d
→ 5p → 6s → 4f → 5d → 6p → 7s → 5f → 6d → 7p

🧱 Think of it like building a house floor by floor,

starting from the ground floor (1s).

🧮 ELECTRON CONFIGURATIONS

Electron configuration = where electrons are

located in an atom.

Example:

 Hydrogen: 1s¹
 Lithium: 1s² 2s¹
 Sodium: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹

🧾 Condensed (Noble Gas) Notation:

Instead of writing everything:

 Sodium: [Ne] 3s¹

([Ne] = 1s² 2s² 2p⁶)

⚠️EXCEPTIONS (Transition Metals)

Some atoms “break the rules” for stability — they

prefer half-filled or fully-filled d-subshells:

Element Expected Actual Reason

Half-filled d is
Cr (24) [Ar] 4s² 3d⁴ [Ar] 4s¹ 3d⁵
stable
[Ar] 4s¹
Cu (29) [Ar] 4s² 3d⁹ Full d is stable
3d¹⁰

⚗️ELECTRON CONFIGURATION OF IONS

When atoms form ions:

 Cations (lose e⁻): electrons are removed

from the highest energy shell first (usually the
s-orbital).
Example: Cu → Cu⁺ = [Ar] 3d¹⁰
 Anions (gain e⁻): electrons are added until a
stable noble gas configuration is reached.
Example: F → F⁻ = [He] 2s² 2p⁶ = [Ne]

🧩 QUICK SUMMARY TABLE

Quantum Symbo Possible

Tells You Example
Number l Values
Energy 1, 2, 2 (L
Principal n
level / shell 3, ... shell)
Angular Subshell /
ℓ 0 to n–1 ℓ=1 → p
momentum shape
Orbital mℓ = 0,
Magnetic mℓ –ℓ → +ℓ
orientation ±1
Spin +½ or –
Spin ms +½
direction ½