1.6: electronic configuration and the shell model

Question 1

what is the ionisation energy?

Answer 1

the energy needed to remove an electron from an atom

- the lowest energy electron requires less energy to remove, but the highest requires a lot more.

Question 2

what do electrons in the same shell have in common?

Answer 2

1) are about the same distance from the nucleus

2) have about the same energy

Question 3

energy levels and shells

Answer 3

the different energy levels or shells can hold different number of electrons,

Question 4

what is the electronic configuration.

Answer 4

the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus

Question 5

maximum number of electrons in shells 1,2,3,4,n

Answer 5

1 = 2
2=8
3=18
4=32
n=2n squared

Question 6

The three rules of electronic configuration

Answer 6

1) each shell can hold a maximum amount of electrons
2) lower energy shells fill before higher energy shells
3) electron shells fill in particular order
- first 2 electrons go into 1st shell
- next 8 fill 2nd shell
- 3rd shell can hold 18, but after it holds two, the next two fill the fourth shell then comes back to fill the 3rh shell again

Question 7

what is the outer most atom called?

Answer 7

the valence shell

Question 8

what are the electrons in the outer shell called

Answer 8

valence electrons

• these electrons require the least energy to remove
• involved in chemical reactions
• knowledge of number of valence electrons in atoms = prediction of chemical properties of elements

Question 9

what is the octet law

Answer 9

how atoms tend to lose, gain or share valence electrons in order to achieve 8 electrons in the outer shell when involved in chemical reaction.