Orbital notation

Nestorian · Apr 14, 2009, 03:21 PM

Isn't that math? IF you haven't posted you question in the math thread, then you may want to do that. Sorry I'm not sure what it is. Good luck eh.XD

Capuchin · Apr 14, 2009, 03:23 PM

Do you mean electron configuration - what are you having trouble with?

Sunni_Hubbard · Apr 14, 2009, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capuchin

Do you mean electron configuration - what are you having trouble with?

Yeah - well I have three boxes one says electronic configuration, 2nd says orbital notation, and 3rd says noble gas notation. I have the elctronic configuration filled out but I don't understand how to fill out the orbital notation.

Capuchin · Apr 14, 2009, 03:35 PM

For orbital notation you need to describe the actual orbitals and how many electrons are in them, I suppose, for example

$1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2$ etc.

Have you been tauight how to do that?

Sunni_Hubbard · Apr 14, 2009, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capuchin

For orbital notation you need to describe the actual orbitals and how many electrons are in them, I suppose, for example

$1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2$ etc.

Have you been tauight how to do that?

Yeah I'm just a little confused on how I'm suppose to describe them etc because he explained it really fast

Capuchin · Apr 14, 2009, 03:51 PM

Well, the number in front is the electron configuration level, so 1s2 is the inner most ring, 2s2 and 2p6 make up the second ring etc. The letter is just the type of orbital, they have different energies and you really just have to remember the letters. The number after the letter (and superscript) is the number of electrons in this level.

You should commit to memory how to construct a table like the folowing:

This describes the order that the orbitals fill up (approximately). You basically just keep filling up the levels (following the arrows) until you run out electrons. Does that help, do you still haev questions?

Sunni_Hubbard · Apr 14, 2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capuchin

Well, the number in front is the electron configuration level, so 1s2 is the inner most ring, 2s2 and 2p6 make up the second ring etc. The letter is just the type of orbital, they have different energies and you really just have to remember the letters. The number after the letter (and superscript) is the number of electrons in this level.

You should commit to memory how to construct a table like the folowing:

This describes the order that the orbitals fill up (approximately). You basically just keep filling up the levels (following the arrows) until you run out electrons. Does that help, do you still haev questions?

That helps a lot! Thank you so much