Rules for Assigning Electrons to Orbitals

i) Aufbau Principle
Electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first and other orbitals in order of ascending energy,
The order of filling orbitals is: 1s < 2s < 2p < 3s < 3p < 4s < 3d < 4p < 5s
Electrons fill the lowest energy orbitals first and other
orbitals in order of ascending energy.
The order of filling orbitals is:
1s < 2s < 2p < 3s < 3p < 4s < 3d < 4p < 5s
1s
2s
3s
4s
5s
2p
3p
4p
5p
3d
4d
5d
4f
5f
1s 2s 2p
Relative Energy Level of Atomic Orbitals
e
n
e
r
g
y

n=1
n=2
n=3
n=4
1s
2s 2p
3s
4s
3p
4p
3d
4d
e
n
e
r
g
y

n=1
n=2
n=3
n=4
1s
2s
2p
3s
4s
3p
4p
3d
4d
5s
Orbital energy levels
in the H atom
Orbital energy levels
in a many-electron atom
ii) Pauli Exclusion Principle
Rules for Assigning Electrons to Orbitals
No two electrons in an atom can have the same four
quantum numbers (n, , m, s)
1s
a
b
c
e(a)
e(b)
e(c)
n m s
1 0
0 1
0
0 1
0
0
1
2
1
2
1
2
( ) , , ,
)
(
, , ,
iii) Hunds Rule
Rules for Assigning Electrons to Orbitals
Only when all the degenerate orbitals (a group of
orbitals of identical energy e.g. three p-orbitals and five d-
orbitals) contain an electron do the electrons begin to
occupy these orbitals in pairs. The electrons in half-filled
orbitals have the same spins, that is, parallel spins.
2p
Indicate which of the following orbital diagrams are
acceptable or unacceptable for an atom in ground state.
Explain what mistakes have been made in each and draw
the correct orbital diagram:
Exercise
1s 2s 2p

1s 2s 2p
1s 2s 2p
?
?
1s 2s 2p
?
1s 2s 2p
?
1s 2s 2p
?
Draw electrons-in-boxes diagram of the electronic
configuration of titanium, Ti (Z = 22). Also, write the ground-
state electronic configurations for Ti and Ti
2+
ion.
Exercise
1s 2s 2p
Ti:
3s 3p 4s
3d
1s
2
2s
2
2p
6
Ti:
3s
2
3p
6
3d
2
4s
2
1s
2
2s
2
2p
6
Ti
2+
:
3s
2
3p
6
3d
2
Points to remember
The electronic configuration of atom or monatomic ion at
ground state
Distribution of electrons obeys Aufbau principle, Pauli
exclusion principle and Hunds rule
Each atomic orbital can only accommodate a maximum of 2
electrons
Atomic orbital is a 3-D region in space around the nucleus
where there is a high probability of finding an electron.
Assigning electrons to subshells
s-orbital a max of 2 electrons (ns
2
)
p-orbitals a max of 6 electrons (np
6
)
d-orbitals a max of 10 electrons (nd
10
)