Free online chemistry lesson for elementary school, middle school and high school.
Example 1: the boron atom
Its atomic number Z = 5 so it has 5 electronsExample 2: the sulfur atom
Its atomic number is Z = 16 so it has 16 electrons
The filling of these shells follows the same rule as the periods (lines) 1 to 3 of the periodic table. Electrons occupy first time the lowest energy levels in priority.
However,
from the fourth period it is necessary to consider another
particularity of the electronic shells:
they are subdivided into sub-shells
each one having its own energy level. If one of the sub-shells
has an energy higher than one of the sub-shells
of the upper shell
therefore the filling is not necessarily made by the lowest shells
to the highest shells.
It becomes more relevant to describe the electronic distribution by
writing the electronic configuration
(which details the distribution on the sub-shells).
Atom |
Z |
Electronic Structure ( electron configuration) |
Hydrogen |
1 |
(K)1 |
Helium |
2 |
(K)2 |
Lithium |
3 |
(K)2(L)1 |
Beryllium |
4 |
(K)2(L)2 |
Bore |
5 |
(K)2(L)3 |
Carbon |
6 |
(K)2(L)4 |
Azote |
7 |
(K)2(L)5 |
Oxygen |
8 |
(K)2(L)6 |
Fluor |
9 |
(K)2(L)7 |
Neon |
10 |
(K)2(L)8 |
Sodium |
11 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)1 |
Magnesium |
12 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)2 |
Aluminum |
13 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)3 |
Silicon |
14 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)4 |
Phosphor |
15 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)5 |
Sulfur |
16 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)6 |
Chlorine |
17 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)7 |
Argon |
18 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)8 |
Potassium |
19 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)8(N)1 |
Calcium |
20 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)8(N)2 |
Scandium |
21 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)9(N)2 |
Titanium |
22 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)10(N)2 |
Vanadium |
23 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)11(N)2 |
Chrome |
24 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)13(N)1 |
Manganese |
25 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)13(N)2 |
Iron |
26 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)14(N)2 |
Cobalt |
27 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)15(N)2 |
Nickel |
28 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)16(N)2 |
Copper |
29 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)1 |
Zinc |
30 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)2 |
Gallium |
31 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)3 |
Germanium |
32 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)4 |
Arsenic |
33 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)5 |
Selenium |
34 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)6 |
Brome |
35 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)7 |
Krypton |
36 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)8 |
Rubidium |
37 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)8(O)1 |
Strontium |
38 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)8(O)2 |
Yttrium |
39 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)9(O)2 |
Zirconium |
40 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)10(O)2 |
Niobium |
41 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)12(O)1 |
Molybdenum |
42 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)13(O)1 |
Technetium |
43 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)13(O)2 |
Ruthenium |
44 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)15(O)1 |
Rhodium |
45 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)16(O)1 |
Palladium |
46 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18 |
Silver |
47 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)1 |
Cadmium |
48 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)2 |
Indium |
49 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)3 |
Pewter |
50 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)4 |
Antimony |
51 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)5 |
Tellurium |
52 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)6 |
Iodine |
53 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)7 |
Xenon |
54 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)8 |
Cesium |
55 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)8(P)1 |
Barium |
56 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)8(P)2 |
Lanthanum |
57 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)18(O)9(P)2 |
Cerium |
58 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)19(O)9(P)2 |
Praseodymium |
59 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)21(O)8(P)2 |
Neodymium |
60 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)22(O)8(P)2 |
Promethium |
61 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)23(O)8(P)2 |
Samarium |
62 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)24(O)8(P)2 |
Europium |
63 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)25(O)8(P)2 |
Gadolinium |
64 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)25(O)9(P)2 |
Terbium |
65 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)27(O)8(P)2 |
Dysprosium |
66 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)28(O)8(P)2 |
Holmium |
67 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)29(O)8(P)2 |
Erbium |
68 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)30(O)8(P)2 |
Thulium |
69 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)31(O)8(P)2 |
Ytterbium |
70 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)8(P)2 |
Lutetium |
71 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)9(P)2 |
Hafnium |
72 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)10(P)2 |
Tantalum |
73 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)11(P)2 |
Tungsten |
74 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)12(P)2 |
Rhenium |
75 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)13(P)2 |
Osmium |
76 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)14(P)2 |
Iridium |
77 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)15(P)2 |
Platine |
78 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)17(P)1 |
Gold |
79 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)1 |
Mercury |
80 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)2 |
Thallium |
81 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)3 |
Plumb |
82 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)4 |
Bismuth |
83 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)5 |
Polonium |
84 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)6 |
Astatine |
85 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)7 |
Radon |
86 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)8 |
Francium |
87 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)8(Q)1 |
Radium |
88 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)8(Q)2 |
Actinium |
89 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)9(Q)2 |
Thorium |
90 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)18(P)10(Q)2 |
Protactinium |
91 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)20(P)9(Q)2 |
Uranium |
92 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)21(P)9(Q)2 |
Neptunium |
93 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)22(P)9(Q)2 |
Plutonium |
94 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)24(P)8(Q)2 |
Americium |
95 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)25(P)8(Q)2 |
Curium |
96 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)25(P)9(Q)2 |
Berkelium |
97 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)27(P)8(Q)2 |
Californium |
98 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)28(P)8(Q)2 |
Einsteinium |
99 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)29(P)8(Q)2 |
Fermium |
100 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)30(P)8(Q)2 |
Mendelevium |
101 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)31(P)8(Q)2 |
Nobelium |
102 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)8(Q)2 |
Lawrencium |
103 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)8(Q)3 |
Rutherfordium |
104 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)10(Q)2 |
Dubnium |
105 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)11(Q)2 |
Seaborgium |
106 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)12(Q)2 |
Bohrium |
107 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)13(Q)2 |
Hassium |
108 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)14(Q)2 |
Meitnerium |
109 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)15(Q)2 |
Darmstadtium |
110 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)16(Q)2 |
Roentgenium |
111 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)17(Q)2 |
Copernicium |
112 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)18(Q)2 |
Nihonium |
113 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)18(Q)3 |
Flerovium |
114 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)18(Q)4 |
Moscovium |
115 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)18(Q)5 |
Livermorium |
116 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)18(Q)6 |
Tennessine |
117 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)18(Q)7 |
Oganesson |
118 |
(K)2(L)8 (M)18(N)32(O)32(P)18(Q)8 |
Example 1, sodium ion Na +
Example 2, the sulfide ion S2-
The element sulfur has for atomic number Z = 16 therefore the sulfur atom has 16 electrons