1.3.3, 1.3.4 and 1.3.5 - Electron Configuration Flashcards
What can a wave model explain regarding light?
the diffraction of light as it passes through a small slit
What is best explained using a particle model of light?
the scattering of electrons that occurs when light is incident on a metal surface
Why is it sometimes preferable to think of an electron/any particle as having wave properties?
because the diffraction pattern produced when a beam of electrons is passed through a thin sheet of graphite demonstrates wave properties of electrons
What is the Uncertainty Principle?
we cannot know where an electron is at any given time
What is the possible position of an electron spread out in space similar to?
a wave spreading across a water surface
What is an atomic orbital?
a region around a nucleus in which there is a 90% chance of finding the electron
What needs to happen for electrons to be able to occupy the same region of space despite their mutual repulsion?
they need to spin in opposite directions
What is the Pauli exclusion principle?
an orbital can hold two electrons of opposite spin
How many atomic orbitals are in the s sublevel?
1
How many atomic orbitals are in the p sublevel?
3
How many atomic orbitals are in the d sublevel?
5
How many atomic orbitals are in the f sublevel?
7
What relation can determine the max number of electrons each energy level can hold (first 4)?
2n^2
How many electrons can an s sublevel hold?
2
How many electrons can a p sublevel hold?
6
How many electrons can a d sublevel hold?
10
How many electrons can an f sublevel hold?
14
What is the Aufbau principle?
electrons fill up the lowest energy orbitals first
Why are electrons separated into separate orbitals until their are doubles?
to minimize the mutual repulsion between them
What does electron configuration show?
energy level, sublevel and number of electrons in that sublevel (as superscript)
What does the energy of an orbital depend on?
the attraction between the electrons and the nucleus and the inter-electron repulsions
Why are electrons first lost from the 4s sublevel before the 3d sublevel when transition metals form their ions?
because once the 3d sublevel is occupied, the 3d electrons push the 4s electrons to higher energy
What are the two exceptions for electron configurations?
chromium and copper
Why is the electron configuration of chromium an exception?
it has a half filled 3d sublevel and one electron in the 4s sublevel
Why is the electron configuration of copper an exception?
because it has a filled 3d sublevel and only one electron is the 4s sublevel
What is the position of an element in the periodic table based on?
the occupied sublevel of highest energy in the ground-state atom
