Chapter 7, Problem 86E

The elements Cu, O, La, Y, Ba, Tl, and Bi are all found in high-temperature ceramic superconductors. Write the expected electron configuration for these atoms.

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Ground state electronic configuration of elements $\text{Cu}$, $\text{O}$, $\text{La}$, $\text{Y}$, $\text{Ba}$, $\text{Tl}$, and $\text{Bi}$ is to be stated.

Concept Introduction:

The filling of the atomic orbitals with electrons takes place according to the Aufbau principle. According to this principle,

• The lower energy orbitals are filled first.
• Only two electrons are allowed to be present in an orbital.
• The energetically equivalent orbitals are first filled singly.  Another electron is only added when all the energetically equivalent orbitals are singly filled.  This is also known as the Hund’s rule.

The filling of energy levels according to the Aufbau principle,

Fig (1)

Answer to Problem 86E

The electronic configurations of the given elements are,

$\text{Cu}\left(29\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{1}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}$

$\text{O}\left(8\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{4}}$

$\text{La}\left(57\right)=1{\text{s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{5p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{6s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{5d}}^{\text{1}}$

$\text{Y}\left(39\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{1}}$

$\text{Ba}\left(56\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{5p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{6s}}^{\text{2}}$

$\text{Tl}\left(81\right)=1{\text{s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{5p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{6s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4f}}^{\text{14}}{\text{5d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{6p}}^{\text{1}}$

$\text{Bi}\left(83\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{5p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{6s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4f}}^{\text{14}}{\text{5d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{6p}}^{\text{3}}$

Explanation of Solution

To determine: Electronic configuration of Copper $\left(\text{Cu}\right)$.

The electronic configuration of copper is an exception. In case of copper, there is one electron in the $\text{4s}$ orbital, whereas according to the Aufbau principle, the lower energy orbital should have been filled first. In copper, the electron is filled in the higher energy orbital $\left(\text{3d}\right)$, whereas the lower energy orbital $\left(\text{4s}\right)$ is not completely filled. This provides the copper atom higher stability; hence, this change is favorable.

The atomic number of Copper $\left(\text{Cu}\right)$ is $29$.

The electronic configuration of Copper is,

$\text{Cu}\left(29\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{1}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}$

To determine: Electronic configuration of Oxygen $\left(\text{O}\right)$.

The atomic number of Oxygen $\left(\text{O}\right)$ is $8$.

The electronic configuration of Oxygen is,

$\text{O}\left(8\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{4}}$

To determine: Electronic configuration of Lanthanum $\left(\text{La}\right)$.

The atomic number of Lanthanum $\left(\text{La}\right)$ is $57$.

The electronic configuration of Lanthanum is,

$\text{La}\left(57\right)=1{\text{s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{5p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{6s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{5d}}^{\text{1}}$

To determine: Electronic configuration of Yttrium $\left(\text{Y}\right)$.

The atomic number of Yttrium $\left(\text{Y}\right)$ is $39$.

The electronic configuration of Yttrium is,

$\text{Y}\left(39\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{1}}$

To determine: Electronic configuration of Barium $\left(\text{Ba}\right)$.

The atomic number of barium $\left(\text{Ba}\right)$ is $56$.

The electronic configuration of Barium is,

$\text{Ba}\left(56\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{5p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{6s}}^{\text{2}}$

To determine: Electronic configuration of Thallium $\left(\text{Tl}\right)$.

The atomic number of Thallium $\left(\text{Tl}\right)$ is $81$.

The electronic configuration of Thallium is,

$\text{Tl}\left(81\right)=1{\text{s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{5p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{6s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4f}}^{\text{14}}{\text{5d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{6p}}^{\text{1}}$

To determine: Electronic configuration of Bismuth $\left(\text{Bi}\right)$.

The atomic number of Bismuth $\left(\text{Bi}\right)$ is $83$.

The electronic configuration of Bismuth is,

$\text{Bi}\left(83\right)={\text{1s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{2p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{3s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{4s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{3d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{4p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{5s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{5p}}^{\text{6}}{\text{6s}}^{\text{2}}{\text{4f}}^{\text{14}}{\text{5d}}^{\text{10}}{\text{6p}}^{\text{3}}$

Conclusion

The electronic configuration of an element can be determined using its atomic number that is the number of electros present in that element.  The filling of the atomic orbital, with electrons, takes place according to the Aufbau principle.