In this blog, we will demystify the process and guide you on how to find electron configuration, shedding light on the enigmatic world of electrons within atoms.

The Building Blocks: Electrons and Orbitals

Before delving into how to find electron configuration, let's grasp the basic building blocks. Electrons, those tiny, negatively charged particles, whirl around the nucleus of an atom in regions known as orbitals. These orbitals come in different shapes and sizes, and they are arranged into energy levels or shells, each with a specific capacity for electrons.

The Orderly Filling Rule: Aufbau Principle

To find the electron configuration of an atom, you need to follow a set of rules, starting with the Aufbau Principle. This principle outlines the order in which orbitals are filled. Electrons first occupy the lowest energy level before moving to higher ones. The lowest energy level is the one closest to the nucleus, which is designated as the 1s orbital.

Remember Hund's Rule

Next in our guide on how to find electron configuration is Hund's Rule. It states that within a subshell (a set of orbitals with the same energy), electrons will fill each orbital singly before pairing up. This minimizes repulsion, making the atom more stable. For instance, in the 2p subshell, you'd have three electrons, each in a different orbital, before any pairing occurs.