Electron Configurations

What is the electron structure in an atom?

Why?
The electron structure of an atom is very important. Scientists use the electronic structure of atoms to
predict bonding in molecules, the charge(s) an atom might have, and the physical properties of elements.
In order for scientists to describe the electron structure in an atom, they give the electrons “addresses.”
Just like your address might include your house number, street, city, and state, an electron’s “address” has
multiple parts. In this activity, you will learn how the electrons fill up the available spaces in an atom and
how their “addresses” or configurations are assigned.

Model 1 – The Boarding House

Sunny
Sunny
Rooms
Rooms Pink
Rooms

kitchen kitchen kitchen

Time: 1:00 pm 3:00 pm 5:00 pm

Manager’s Code: 1s1 1s2 2s2 2p2 1s2 2s2 2p4
 
 

kitchen kitchen kitchen kitche

Time: 7:00 pm 9:00 pm 11:00 pm

Manager’s Code: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3
1. Examine the boarding house diagrams in Model 1. Match each symbol below with its most likely
meaning.
III
____a. I. Bunk bed for boarders
I
____b.   II. M
 anager’s code for the number of boarders in the house and
their room assignments.
II
____c. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1 III. Boarder

Electron Configuration 1
 2. Refer to Model 1.
a. How many boarders were in the boarding house at 5:00 pm?
8
b. Describe how you determined your answer to part a.
I counted the black dots
3. Examine each diagram in Model 1 and the corresponding manager’s code. Using the following
manager’s code:
1s2 2s2 2p4
a. Underline the floor numbers.
b. Circle the types of rooms.
c. Draw a box around the numbers of boarders.
4. The manager of the boarding house has some very strict rules on how beds will be rented out for
the night. Examine the diagrams in Model 1 and the statements below to determine the phrase
that best describes the manager’s set of rules. Circle the correct answer.
a. The boarding house will rent out beds on the _______ floor first.
1st 2nd 3rd
b. Boarders are only allowed to double up in a bunk in a room when ____________________.
there is an even number of boarders in the room all bottom bunks are occupied
c. The next floor of rooms will be opened for boarders only when _____________________
on the floor below are occupied.
half of the bunks at least one of the rooms all of the bunks
d. The pink room on a floor will be opened for boarders only when ____________________.
all of the lower bunks in the sunny room on that floor are occupied
all of the bunks in the sunny room on that floor are occupied
the sunny room on that floor is open
5. Provide (a) the manager’s code and (b) a boarding house diagram showing 12 boarders present.
a. b.

2 POGIL™ Activities for High School Chemistry

Model 2 – Ground State Orbital Diagrams and Electron Configurations

 
3p 3p 3p
3s 3s 3s
Increasing Energy

2p 2p 2p
2s 2s 2s

1s 1s 1s
  Hydrogen Carbon Oxygen
1s1 1s2 2s2 2p2 1s2 2s2 2p4

 
3p 3p 3p
3s 3s  
3s 3s

2p 2p 2p
2s 2s 2s

1s 1s 1s
  Sodium Aluminum Phosphorus
1s 2s2 2p6 3s1
2
1s 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1
2
1s 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p3
2

6. Examine the orbital diagrams and electron configurations in Model 2. Match each symbol below
with its meaning.
____a. I. Single electron
____b. II. Pair of electrons with opposite spins
____c. III. Atomic orbital (region of space where an electron is likely to be found)
____d.   IV. Sublevel (set of orbitals having equivalent energy)
____e. 1s2 2s2 2p4 V. Electron configuration

Electron Configuration 3
 7. Consider the orbital diagram for oxygen in Model 2.
a. How many electrons are present in the orbital diagram?
8
b. Based on its position in the periodic table, explain how you know that your answer to part a
is the correct number of electrons for oxygen.
number 8 on the periodic table for protons

8. Examine the orbital diagrams and electron configurations in Model 2. Using the following elec-
tron configuration:
1s2 2s2 2p4
a. Underline the energy levels.
b. Circle the sublevels.
c. Draw a box around the numbers of electrons.
9. The 2s and 2p sublevels are very close in energy, as are the 3s and 3p sublevels. Explain how the
orbital diagram for sodium confirms that the 3s sublevel is lower in energy than the 3p sublevel.
cause the electrons go to s first (right to left)

10. The lowest potential energy arrangement of electrons in an atom is called the ground state.
Ground state electron configurations can be predicted by a strict set of rules known as the
Aufbau principle (“aufbau”means filling up). Examine the diagrams in Model 2 and the state-
ments below to determine the phrase that best describes each rule. Circle the correct answer.
a. Based on where a single electron is placed, the lowest potential energy electron in an atom is
found in the ________ sublevel.
1s 2s 3s
b. Electrons will occupy a p-orbital only after ____________ .
the previous s-orbital is half full
the previous s-orbital is completely full
the previous s-orbital is empty
c. Electrons can begin to occupy energy levels with the next highest integer designation (e.g.,
2 vs. 1, 3 vs. 2) only after __________________ on the energy level below it are occupied.
half of the orbitals at least one of the orbitals all of the orbitals

4 POGIL™ Activities for High School Chemistry

 11. The Pauli exclusion principle describes the restriction on the placement of electrons into the
same orbital. The Pauli exclusion principle can be expressed as: “If two electrons occupy the same
orbital, they must have __________________.” Circle the correct answer.
the same spin opposite spins
12. Hund’s rule describes how electrons are distributed among orbitals of the same sublevel when
there is more than one way to distribute them. Hund’s rule consists of two important ideas.
Based on Model 2, circle the correct answer to each statement.
a. Electrons will pair up in an orbital only when __________________
there is an even number of electrons in the sublevel
all orbitals in the same sublevel have one electron
b. When single electrons occupy different orbitals of the same sublevel, __________________.
they all have the same spin
they all have different spins
their spins are random
13. For each of the symbols below from Model 2, provide the name or description of the analogous
component that was used in the boarding house model (Model 1).
a.
orbital

sublevel

  electron

  pair of electrons w opp spin

1s2 2s2 2p4 electron configurations

b. What characteristic of electrons is not well represented by the boarding house model?
they move up and down w energy, this only shows ground state

c. How could the boarding house model be modified to better represent the relative energies of s
and p sublevels?

I think it helped really well but making more distinct rooms and arrows showing the process
of filling the bunks and rooms

Electron Configuration 5
 14. Below are three answers generated by students in response to the prompt: “Provide an orbital
energy level diagram for the ground state of a nitrogen atom.” In each case, indicate whether the
answer is right or wrong, and if it is wrong, explain the error.

 
3p 3p 3p
3s 3s  
3s 3s

2p 2p 2p
2s 2s 2s

1s 1s 1s

a. b. c.
wrong, second row not filled right, rooms filled wrong, second floor bottom bunk
needs to be full before pairing

15. Complete the ground state orbital energy level diagrams and write the corresponding electron
configurations for:
Sulfur Silicon Neon

 
3p 3p 3p
3s 3s  
3s 3s

2p 2p 2p
2s 2s 2s

1s 1s 1s

Sulfur Silicon Neon

6 POGIL™ Activities for High School Chemistry

 Extension Questions
Model 3 – Orbital Diagram for an Atom of Element X

3p
3s

2p
2s

1s
 
16. Consider the orbital diagram in Model 3.
a. How many electrons are there in one atom of element X?
10

b. Identify element X and provide its ground state electron configuration. Assume the atom is
neutral.

Neon

c. Is the arrangement of electrons in the orbital diagram in Model 3 higher in total potential
energy or lower in total potential energy than the ground state electron configuration of
element X? Explain your reasoning.

Higher because of the up arrow

Read This!
An excited state electron configuration is any electron configuration for an atom that contains the
correct total number of electrons but has a higher total electron potential energy than the ground state
electron configuration.

17. Write an electron configuration for element X that shows the atom in a different excited state
than the one illustrated in Model 3.

Electron Configuration 7
 18. Each orbital diagram shown below describes an excited state of an atom of a different element.
Use the orbital diagrams to complete the table.
A B C
 
3p 3p 3p
  3s 3s
3s  
3s

2p 2p 2p
2s 2s 2s

1s 1s 1s

A B C

Excited state electron

configuration

Identify the element Nitrogen Magnesium Aliuminium

Ground state electron

configuration

19. Complete the table for each of the excited state electron configurations given.

Excited state electron Element Ground state electron Orbital diagram for
configuration name configuration ground state

1s2 2s1 2p2 B

1s2 2s2 2p2 3s2 3p1 F

8 POGIL™ Activities for High School Chemistry