Understanding Electron Configuration

The first page explains the fundamental concepts of electron configuration and valence electrons. Electrons in atoms are distributed across different electronic shells, labeled with principal quantum numbers (n). Each shell has specific subshells (s, p, d) with maximum electron capacities.

Definition: Electronic configuration describes the arrangement of electrons in an atom's shells and subshells.

Example: For sulfur (S), the configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴, with 6 valence electrons.

Highlight: The filling order of subshells follows a specific sequence: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, (3d).

Vocabulary: Valence electrons are those found in the outermost shell of an atom, crucial for chemical bonding.