Atomic Structure and

Electron Configuration

Quantum Mechanical Model of the Atom

The Bohr-Rutherford model of the atom, while easy to understand and
use, is not the current model of the atom. Developed shortly after the
Bohr model, the quantum mechanical model has been the
accepted model.
However, due to its abstract nature, it is studied in later chemistry
courses.
We will:
1. look at the historical development of this model
2. use it to show electron arrangements called electron configurations
3. model the electron configuration by constructing orbital diagrams
4. go into the specifics of the model to explain some chemical and
physical phenomena of the elements as well as periodic trends
John Dalton & J.J Thomson Atomic
Model

J.J. Thomson, used a cathode ray where he ejected

He concluded that matter consists of tiny atoms
particles from a neutral material. These particles were
which are indestructible. All the atoms of one shown to have negative charge since they were attracted
to a positively charged metal plate. Hence electron were
element are identical, and atoms of different
discovered, however, since the material was neutral
elements differ in mass and properties. overall it mean that they must have positive charges as
well.
Therefore, he stated that electrons are distributed inside a
positive mass like raising in a plum pudding.
 Rutherford Atomic Model
Most rays passed through
without deflecting. This
indicates that most of the
atom is empty space

Some rays were deflected. This

signifies that these rays passed
closely from the center

Some rays were reflected. These

were the rays which went to the
center indicating that positive
charges are condensed in the
center.

This experiment of Rutherford, gave birth to a new atomic

structure with a center called nucleus which contain positive
particles and the electrons were orbiting the nucleus. However,
this theory had it limitations as if the electrons are in a circular
motion, they are changing direction and acceleration
continuously thus losing energy. Since they are losing energy
there will come a point in time when they fall into the nucleus,
and the atom would lapse. As this was not happening the theory
was flawed.
 Bohr’s Atomic Model
Bohr used spectrometer to conclude that atoms has only specific energy levels that
electrons can occupy. Within these energy levels electrons do not emit energy.
Electrons, however do change level by absorbing or emitting photons (Planck called
them discrete packets of energy). Every, atom of an element has its unique emission
spectrum (i.e. their finger print).
This modified the atomic structure model by explaining that electrons move in fixed orbitals
(shells) and not anywhere in between and he also explained that each orbit (shell) has a fixed
energy. Rutherford explained the nucleus of an atom and Bohr modified that model into
electrons and their energy levels.
However, the limitation of this model was that Bohr only considered hydrogen atom spectrum
when conducting calculations of the energy level, hence this model is only applicable for
atoms with single electrons.
 Atomic Structure
The atomic structure we have studied uptill now

Subatomic Relative
Relative mass Charge
particle charge

Proton +1 1 +1.062 x

Neutron 0 1 0

Electron –1 1/1840 -1.062 x

The current atomic model is a quantum mechanical mode, which was developed
through the contributions of scientists like Erwin Schrodinger and Henri deBorglie
 Atomic Structures of Erwin Schrodinger and Henri deBorglie

These scientist used quantum

mechanic to explain their theory.
Quantum Mechanics the
application of quantum theory to
Henri deBorglie and Heisenberg theory: explain the properties of matter,
particularly electrons in atoms
A particle has mass and
momentum
Wave -
Light is thought of as wave and according to Einstein through experiments stated that light is
basically a particle and called these particles photons.

deBorglie stated that matter is thought of as a particle thus it could also have wave properties.
Hence came the biggest contribution that since matter has wave like properties then it electrons
are technically waves.

The Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that the exact position and momentum of an
electron cannot be simultaneously determined. This is because electrons simply don't have a
definite position, and direction of motion, at the same motion, at the same time!
One way to try to understand this is to think of an electron not as a particle but as a wave. Think
of dropping a stone into a pond. The ripples start to spread out from that point. We can answer
the question "Where is the wave?" with "It's where you plonked the stone in". But we can't
answer the question "What direction is the wave moving?" because it's moving in all directions.
It's spreading out. Now think of a wave at the seaside. We know the direction of motion. It's
straight in towards the beach. But where is the wave? We can't pinpoint an exact location. It's all
along the water electrons simply don't have a definite position, and direction of.
Erwin Schrodinger contribution:
Electron Probability Density
the probability of finding an
Schrodinger took the theory that electrons behave as wave electron at a given location,
derived from wave equations
ahead and wrote the wave equation. This equation and used to determine the
produced the mathematical description of orbitals which we shapes of orbitals; also called
can view in three dimensions electron probability distribution

Electron density probability graph: Electron “orbitals”

Theories of
Atoms and
their
Structure
Back: Auguste Piccard, Émile Henriot, Paul Ehrenfest, Édouard Herzen, Théophile de Donder, Erwin Schrödinger, JE Verschaffelt, Wolfgang Pauli, Werner Heisenberg, Ralph Fowler, Léon
Brillouin.
Middle: Peter Debye, Martin Knudsen, William Lawrence Bragg, Hendrik Anthony Kramers, Paul Dirac, Arthur Compton, Louis de Broglie, Max Born, Niels Bohr.
Front: Irving Langmuir, Max Planck, Marie Curie, Hendrik Lorentz, Albert Einstein, Paul Langevin, Charles-Eugène Guye, CTR Wilson, Owen Richardson.
 Atomic Structure
How electrons are arranged:
Shells subshells orbitals
Shells:
Principal quantum numbers (n) are used to number the energy levels or quantum
shells (2 - where n is number of shells)
The lower the principal quantum number, the closer the shell is to the nucleus
The higher the principal quantum number, the higher the energy of the shell
Each principal quantum number has a fixed number of electrons it can hold
n = 1 : up to 2 electrons
n = 2 : up to 8 electrons
n = 3 : up to 18 electrons

Subshells:
The principal quantum shells are split into sub-shells which are given the 1st shell: 1
letters s, p and d 2nd shell: 1 2
s: capacity of 2 electrons 3rd shell: 3 3 3
p: capacity of 6 electrons
d: capacity of 10 electrons 4th shell: 4 4 4 4
Elements with more than 57 electrons also have an f shell
The energy of the electrons in the sub-shells increases in the order
s<p<d
Orbits:
• Sub-shells contain one or more atomic orbitals
• Orbitals exist at specific energy levels and electrons can only be found at these specific levels, not in between them
• Each atomic orbital can be occupied by a maximum of two electrons
• This means that the number of orbitals in each sub-shell is as follows:
• s : one orbital (1 x 2 = total of 2 electrons)
• p : three orbitals ( 3 x 2 = total of 6 electrons)
• d : five orbitals (5 x 2 = total of 10 electrons)
• f : seven orbitals (7 x 2 = total of 14 electrons)
• The orbitals have specific 3-D shapes
• S orbital is called sharp and the shape is spherical
• P orbital is called principle and the share is a dumbbell. They exists as ,
 Electron-filling order

Start by filling the lowest energy level and going up

 Orbital
blocks on
the Periodic
Table:

The Periodic Table is split up into four main

blocks depending on their electronic
configuration:
• s block elements
• Have their valence
electron(s) in an s orbital
• p block elements
• Have their valence
electron(s) in a p orbital
• d block elements
• Have their valence
electron(s) in a d orbital
• f block elements
• Have their valence
electron(s) in an f orbital
Electron
Configurations:
For example:
S has the electron configuration:
1s22s22p63s23p4
or
[Ne] 3s23p4

V has the electron configuration:

1s22s22p63s23p64s23d3
or
[Ar] 4s23d3
 Try these:

element electron configuration

Ca
Se
F
Zr
What is an
orbital?
An atomic orbital is a mathematical function for an electron in an atom.
It is based on its wave-like behaviour. The region in which an electron is
most likely to be found around a single atom in a particular energy state
can be calculated from this function. The orbital shapes we will look at
represent regions around the nucleus where there is a high probability of
finding an electron.
Quantum
Mechanical
Model of the
Atom

Theory
Orbital Diagrams

 A box is used to represent each

orbital. S-orbitals are singular, p-
orbitals in groups of 3, d-orbitals in
groups of 5, f-orbitals in groups of 7.
Always label the orbitals.
 Electrons are represented by arrows.
Two electrons in the same orbital will
have arrows in opposite directions.
Only pair up electrons if necessary.
For example:
F has the electron configuration and
orbital diagram:
 IMPORTANT Rules:

Energy  Aufbau principle:

For the ground state the orbital boxes are filled with electrons in
Level order of increasing energy 1s<2s<2p<3s<3p<4s<3d<4p<5s< 4d
etc
Diagrams
 Pauli exclusion principle:
An orbital can accommodate no more than two electrons and these
electrons must have opposite spins.

 Hund’s rule:
In lowest energy electron configuration, electrons in the same
energy occupy separate orbitals and have the same spin (this
minimizes repulsion).
Try these: (use can use the short form for these too)
 C

 P

 V
Quantum Each atomic orbital is identified by three quantum numbers. They
are:
Numbers
1. principle quantum number, n

2. angular momentum quantum number, l

3. magnetic quantum number, ml

Each electron in an orbital is also given a spin quantum number, ms.

Principle
Quantum  n = 1,2,3…
Number, n  is related to the size and energy of the orbital
 as the number increases, the orbital becomes larger and
the electrons spend more time further from the nucleus
 maximum number of orbitals at that energy level = n2
 maximum number of electrons at that energy level = 2n2
  Identifies the shape of the orbital
Angular  l = 0,……,n-1

Momentum 


when n = 1, l = 0
when n = 2, l = 0,1
(Orbital  when n = 3, l = 0,1,2

Shape) etc.
 The values of l are most commonly described by
Quantum letters:

Number, l
Value of l 0 1 2 3 4 5

Letter
These letters indicate the shapes of the
orbitals:

s – orbitals:
 s-orbitals are spherically shaped
 Each s-orbital can hold 2 electrons

p – orbitals:
 Start at the second energy level
 There are 3 p-orbitals at each energy
level
 p-orbitals are dumbbell shaped
 Each p-orbital can hold 2 electrons

d – orbitals:
 Start at the third energy level
 There are 5 different shapes
 Each d-orbital can hold 2 electrons

 f- orbitals:
 There are 7 different shapes
 Each f-orbital can hold 2 electrons
  Indicates the orbital’s spatial orientation around the nucleus
Magnetic  ml = - l,…,0,…,l
 when: n = 1 l = 0 ml = 0
Quantum
Number, ml n = 2 l = 0 ml = 0
l = 1 ml = -1
ml = 0
ml = 1

n=3 l=0 ml = 0
l = 1 ml = -1
ml = 0
ml = 1
l = 2 ml = -2
ml = -1
ml = 0
ml = 1
ml = 2
Spin
Quantum  Describes the electron spin since electrons behave as
Number, ms tiny magnets spinning on their axis in either clockwise or
counter-clockwise directon.


ms = +½ or -½
Using Quantum
Numbers
We can assign 4 quantum numbers to each of the electrons in all of the atoms on the periodic table

For example:
 Lithium has 3 electrons: n = 1 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = + ½
n = 1 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = - ½
n = 2 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = + ½

Boron: n = 1 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = + ½
n = 1 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = - ½
n = 2 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = + ½
n = 2 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = - ½
n = 2 l = 1 ml = -1 ms = + ½
Using quantum numbers works well for smaller atoms but can be extremely tedious for larger
ones.

For example: Mg (12 electrons... not even that big an atom – can you imagine mercury with 80
electrons!!!)

n = 1 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = + ½

n = 1 l = 0 m l = 0 ms = - ½

n = 2 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = + ½

n = 2 l = 0 m l = 0 ms = - ½

n = 2 l = 1 ml = -1 ms = + ½

n = 2 l = 1 ml = -1 ms = - ½

n = 2 l = 1 m l = 0 ms = + ½

n = 2 l = 1 ml = 0 ms = - ½

n = 2 l = 1 m l = 1 ms = + ½

n = 2 l = 1 ml = 1 ms = - ½

n = 3 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = + ½

n = 3 l = 0 ml = 0 ms = - ½

So we generally use electron configurations and orbital diagrams instead:

Energy level diagram for phosphorous, P:

7p 6d
7s 6p 5f
5d
6s 5p 4f
4d
5s

Increasing energy
4p
4s 3d
3p
3s
2p
2s

1s

The electron configuration for P is:

The orbital diagram for P is:

 *** half-filled and filled orbital shells have a lower energy*** and
lower energy means they are more stable and preferred.
Explanation in Periodic Trends section.

Look at Chromium, Cr:

 What we expect the electron configuration to be:

Exceptions
 What the actual electron configuration is:

to Electron  Why? Because this gives us ______ half-filled orbital shell.

Configurati
on Rules
 Look at Copper, Cu:
 What we expect the electron configuration to be:

 What the actual electron configuration is:

Exceptions  Why? Because this gives us ______ half-filled and ____ full
orbital shell.
to Electron
Configurati
on Rules
Now try the practice AP MC questions on your
handout.