Electron Shell
Electron Shell
History
The shell terminology comes from Arnold
Sommerfeld's modification of the Bohr
model. Sommerfeld retained Bohr's
planetary model, but added mildly elliptical
orbits (characterized by additional
quantum numbers ℓ and m) to explain the
fine spectroscopic structure of some
elements.[3] The multiple electrons with
the same principal quantum number (n)
had close orbits that formed a "shell" of
positive thickness instead of the infinitely
thin circular orbit of Bohr's model.
Shells
The electron shells are labeled K, L, M, N,
O, P, and Q; or 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; going
from innermost shell outwards. Electrons
in outer shells have higher average energy
and travel farther from the nucleus than
those in inner shells. This makes them
more important in determining how the
atom reacts chemically and behaves as a
conductor, because the pull of the atom's
nucleus upon them is weaker and more
easily broken. In this way, a given
element's reactivity is highly dependent
upon its electronic configuration.
Subshells
Each shell is composed of one or more
subshells, which are themselves
composed of atomic orbitals. For example,
the first (K) shell has one subshell, called
1s; the second (L) shell has two subshells,
called 2s and 2p; the third shell has 3s, 3p,
and 3d; the fourth shell has 4s, 4p, 4d and
4f; the fifth shell has 5s, 5p, 5d, and 5f and
can theoretically hold more but the 5f
subshell, although partially occupied in
actinides, is not filled in any element
occurring naturally.[2] The various possible
subshells are shown in the following table:
Subshell Max
ℓ Shells containing it Historical name
label electrons
Subshell Shell
Shell Subshell
max max
name name
electrons electrons
K 1s 2 2
2s 2
L 2+6=8
2p 6
3s 2
2 + 6 + 10
M 3p 6
= 18
3d 10
4s 2
2+6+
4p 6
N 10 + 14
4d 10
= 32
4f 14
5s 2
5p 6 2+6+
O 5d 10 10 + 14 +
18 = 50
5f 14
5g 18
Valence shell
The valence shell is the outermost shell of
an atom. Valence electrons in non-
transition metal elements reside in this
shell. Such elements with complete
valence shells (noble gases) are the most
chemically non-reactive, while those with
only one electron in their valence shells
(alkali metals) or just missing one electron
from having a complete shell (halogens)
are the most reactive.[9]
However, this terminology is somewhat
misleading in the case of transition
metals. In these elements, a valence
electron can also be in an inner shell.
Thus, the electrons that determine how an
atom reacts chemically are those that
travel farthest from the nucleus, that is,
those with the highest energy, and not
necessarily in the valence shell.
1 Hydrogen 1 1
2 Helium 2 18
3 Lithium 2, 1 1
4 Beryllium 2, 2 2
5 Boron 2, 3 13
6 Carbon 2, 4 14
7 Nitrogen 2, 5 15
8 Oxygen 2, 6 16
9 Fluorine 2, 7 17
10 Neon 2, 8 18
11 Sodium 2, 8, 1 1
12 Magnesium 2, 8, 2 2
13 Aluminium 2, 8, 3 13
14 Silicon 2, 8, 4 14
15 Phosphorus 2, 8, 5 15
16 Sulfur 2, 8, 6 16
17 Chlorine 2, 8, 7 17
18 Argon 2, 8, 8 18
19 Potassium 2, 8, 8, 1 1
20 Calcium 2, 8, 8, 2 2
21 Scandium 2, 8, 9, 2 3
22 Titanium 2, 8, 10, 2 4
23 Vanadium 2, 8, 11, 2 5
24 Chromium 2, 8, 13, 1 6
25 Manganese 2, 8, 13, 2 7
26 Iron 2, 8, 14, 2 8
27 Cobalt 2, 8, 15, 2 9
28 Nickel 2, 8, 16, 2 10
29 Copper 2, 8, 18, 1 11
30 Zinc 2, 8, 18, 2 12
31 Gallium 2, 8, 18, 3 13
32 Germanium 2, 8, 18, 4 14
33 Arsenic 2, 8, 18, 5 15
34 Selenium 2, 8, 18, 6 16
35 Bromine 2, 8, 18, 7 17
36 Krypton 2, 8, 18, 8 18
37 Rubidium 2, 8, 18, 8, 1 1
38 Strontium 2, 8, 18, 8, 2 2
39 Yttrium 2, 8, 18, 9, 2 3
46 Palladium 2, 8, 18, 18 10
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related
to Electron shell diagrams.
References
1. Re: Why do electron shells have set
limits ? madsci.org, 17 March 1999, Dan
Berger, Faculty Chemistry/Science, Bluffton
College
2. Electron Subshells . Corrosion Source.
3. Donald Sadoway, Introduction to Solid
State Chemistry, Lecture 5
4. Barkla, Charles G. (1911). "XXXIX.The
spectra of the fluorescent Röntgen
radiations". Philosophical Magazine. Series
6. 22 (129): 396.
doi:10.1080/14786440908637137 .
“Previously denoted by letters B and A (...).
The letters K and L are, however, preferable,
as it is highly probable that series of
radiations both more absorbable and more
penetrating exist.”
5. Jue, T. (2009). "Quantum Mechanic Basic
to Biophysical Methods" . Fundamental
Concepts in Biophysics. Berlin: Springer.
p. 33. ISBN 1-58829-973-2.
6. The statement that the electrons in one
subshell have exactly the same level of
energy is true in an isolated atom, where it
follows quantum-mechanically from the
spherical symmetry of the system. When
the atom is part of a molecule, this no
longer holds; see, for example, crystal field
theory.
7. Orbitals . Chem4Kids. Retrieved on 1
December 2011.
8. Electron & Shell Configuration .
Chemistry.patent-invent.com. Retrieved on
1 December 2011.
9. Chemical Reactions . Vision Learning (26
July 2011). Retrieved on 1 December 2011.
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