Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region VI – Western Visayas
Schools Division of Passi City
PASSI NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Program
Tel. No. 311-5997

GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1
LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET
QUARTER 2 – WEEK 1-2

Most Essential Learning Competencies:

1. Use quantum numbers to describe an electron in an atom

(STEM_GC11ESIIa-b-54);
2. Determine the magnetic property of the atom based on its
electronic configuration (STEM_GC11ESIIa-b-57);
3. Draw an orbital diagram to represent the electronic configuration of
atoms (STEM_GC11ESIIa-b-58).
 Electron Configuration
Background
Electron Configuration. The four quantum numbers n, ℓ, ml, and ms
are very useful in labelling an electron in any orbital in an atom much
like giving the address of an electron in an atom.

Quantum Number Symbol Possible Values

Principal Quantum Number n 1,2,3,4…(positive integers)
Angular Momentum Quantum ℓ 0,1,2,3… (0 to n-1)
Number
Magnetic Quantum Number ml - ℓ,…-1,0,1…,+ ℓ
Spin Quantum Number ms +1/2, -1/2

In the case of hydrogen, there is only one electron. In the ground state,
the one electron of hydrogen will occupy the 1s orbital, the one with the
lowest energy. This electron is represented by the set of quantum
numbers: n = 1, ℓ =0, ml = 0, and ms = ½ or -½. By convention, the set
of quantum numbers is written as (1, 0, 0, ½) or (1, 0, 0, -½). The ms
value does not affect the energy, orientation, or size of the orbital but is
important in describing the arrangement of electrons in the atom.

It is possible to represent this arrangement of the electron in hydrogen

in terms of the electron configuration or in terms of the orbital diagram.
The electron configuration shows how the electrons of an atom are
distributed among the atomic orbitals. The orbital diagram shows the
spin of the electron. For the electron in the ground state of hydrogen,
the electron configuration is given as

In an orbital diagram, a 1s orbital can be represented as a box with 1

arrow up (up-spin) or arrow down (down-spin)

In filling up the orbitals, the lower energy levels are filled up first before
the higher energy levels. For many-electron atoms, the Pauli Exclusion
Principle is used. This states that in an atom or molecule, no two
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electrons can have the same four electronic quantum numbers.
Consequently, an orbital can contain a maximum of only two electrons,
the two electrons must have opposing spins. This means if one is
assigned an up-spin (+1/2), the other must be down-spin (-1/2).

Consider the case of He with 2 electrons.

HUND’S RULE. For carbon, the electronic configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p2.
But the orbital diagram shows three ways in which the last electron can
be placed in the orbitals which do not violate the Pauli’s exclusion
principle as shown in the following:

However, each arrangement provides a different energy value. The one

with the lowest energy has the greatest stability. Hund’s rule is the
guide in determining the most stable distribution. Hund’s rule: The
most stable arrangement of electrons in the subshells is the one
with the most number of parallel spins.

Based on Hund’s rule, the third option is the most favorable

arrangement for the electron to attain the greatest stability. In the first
option, the presence of two electrons with opposing spins in one orbital
results in a greater mutual repulsion than when they occupy separate
orbitals. Hund’s Rule is followed in d and f orbitals as well.

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Pauli’s Exclusion Principle can be tested by simple observation.
Measurements of magnetic properties provide the most direct evidence
for specific electronic configurations of elements. Paramagnetic
materials are those that contain unpaired electrons or spins and are
attracted by a magnet. Diamagnetic materials are those with paired
spins and are repelled by a magnet.

Any atom with an odd number of electrons will contain one or more
unpaired spins, and are therefore attracted by a magnet, thus, can be
classified as paramagnetic. For an even number of electrons like
helium, if the two electrons in the 1s orbitals had parallel spins, their net
magnetic fields should strengthen each other. But experimental results
showed that the helium atom in its ground state has no net magnetic
field.

This observation supports the pairing of two electrons with opposite

spins in the 1s orbital. Thus, helium gas is diamagnetic. Lithium, on the
other hand, has an unpaired electron and is paramagnetic. The orbital
diagram provides information on the diamagnetic or paramagnetic
characteristic of an element.

AUFBAU PRINCIPLE. The Aufbau principle dictates that as protons

are added one by one to the nucleus to build up the elements, electrons
are similarly added to the atomic orbitals. The order of filling up the
atomic orbitals is from lowest energy to highest energy. Within the
same principal quantum number, the order of energies of the atomic
orbitals is

s"<"p"<"d"<"f"

For example, for n = 3, the order is E3s < E3p < E 3d.

For multi-electron atoms, the general order of filling up orbitals can be

diagrammed as follows:

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The electron configuration of elements higher than hydrogen and
helium can be represented using the noble gas core. In the periodic
table, the noble gases are found in the last column named as Group 8A
(or Group 18 in the IUPAC convention). These are 2He, 10Ne, 18Ar,
36Kr, 54Xe, 86Rn.

The smallest noble element is helium, so the shortened electronic

configuration can be written as follows for the given elements:

ATOMIC NO. OF ELECTRON NOBLE GAS

ELEMENT
NUMBER ELECTRONS CONFIGURATION CONFIGURATION
He 2 2 1s2 [He]
Li 3 3 1s2 2s1 [He] 2s1
Be 4 4 1s2 2s2 [He] 2s2
B 5 5 1s2 2s2 2p1 [He]2s2 2p1
C 6 6 1s2 2s2 2p2 [He]2s2 2p2
N 7 7 1s2 2s2 2p3 [He]2s2 2p3
O 8 8 1s2 2s2 2p4 [He]2s2 2p4
F 9 9 1s2 2s2 2p5 [He]2s2 2p5
Ne 10 10 1s2 2s2 2p6 [Ne]
Na 11 11 1s2 2s2 2p63s1 [Ne]3s1
Mg 12 12 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 [Ne]3s2
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 [Ar] 4s1
K 19 19
3p6 4s1

The elements in the 4th period, starting from potassium will have argon
as the noble gas core
19K: [Ar]4s1
20Ca: [Ar] 4s2

The 4s orbital has lower energy than the 3d orbitals; it is first filled with
electrons before the 3d orbitals.

Elements scandium to copper are transition metals. These elements

will have incompletely filled d subshells or readily gives electrons and
form cations that have incomplete filled d subshells. There will be some
irregularities in the electron distribution of this series as seen in Cr and
Cu.
21Sc: [Ar]4s23d1
22Ti: [Ar]4s23d2
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 24Cr: [Ar]4s13d5
29Cu: [Ar]4s13d10
30Zn: [Ar] 4s23d10

The irregularities in Cr and Cu are due to experimental results that

show that there is a greater stability associated with the half-filled (3d5)
and the completely filled (3d10) subshells. Similar observations are also
found in the higher d and f-orbitals.

Gallium is the next element after Zn, its electronic configuration is:
31Ga: [Ar] 4s23d104p1

Important data that can be gathered from the shortened electronic

configuration are the following:
a. Valence configuration: The electronic configuration representing
the outermost subshells.
b. Valence electrons: the number of electrons in the outermost
subshells.

Determining the valence electrons is important to understand the

behavior of the elements especially in their bonding patterns to be
discussed in the next sessions.

NOBLE GAS VALENCE VALENCE

ELEMENT
CONFIGURATION CONFIGURATION ELECTRONS
Li [He] 2s1 2s1 1
Be [He] 2s2 2s2 2
B [He]2s2 2p1 2s2 2p1 3
N [He]2s2 2p3 2s2 2p3 5
Ne [Ne] [Ne] or 2s2 2p6 8
Sc [Ar]4s23d1 4s23d1 3
Cr [Ar]4s13d5 4s13d5 6
Ga [Ar]4s23d104p1 4s24p1 3

THE QUANTUM NUMBERS AND THE ARRANGEMENTS OF

ELEMENTS IN THE PERIODIC TABLE. It was mentioned earlier that
the complete set of quantum numbers specifies the address of an
electron in an atom. This can be seen in the arrangement of elements
in the periodic table. The periodic table is designed such that elements
with valence configurations in the s orbitals are found in the first two
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columns on the left, the ones with p-orbitals are found on the right. The
transition metals have d-orbitals and are found at the middle and the
elements with f-orbitals as valence configurations are found at the
bottom.

Note: In the example on the left, there is no need to include the

completely filled 3d subshells in the valence configuration and the
inclusion of the 3d electrons in counting the valence electrons.

Directions
Answer the following exercises below. Write your answer on your
answer sheet.

Exercises/ Activities (Part I)

(A) 1. What are the possible sets of quantum numbers that can describe
a 2p electron in an atom? Answer: For a 2p electron, n = 2; = 1;
ml can be -1, 0, +1; and ms can be ½ or -½. (2, 1, -1, ½)

(2, 1, -1, -½)

(2, 1, 0, ½)
(2, 1, 0, -½)
(2, 1, 1, ½)
(2, 1, 1, -½)

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 2. Give the electron configuration of Li. Give the set of quantum
numbers that describe the outermost electron in lithium as shown in the
orbital diagram below.

3. Give the electron configuration of Be. Draw the orbital diagram.

4. Give the electron configuration of B. Draw the orbital diagram.

(B.) Fill in the following table:

NUMBER PARAMAGNETIC No. of
ATOMIC ORBITAL ELECTRON
ELEMENT OF OR UNPAIRED
NUMBER DIAGRAM CONFIGURATION
ELECTRONS DIAMAGNETIC ELECTRONS

H 1
He 2
Li 3
Be 4
B 5
C 6
N 7
O 8
F 9
Ne 10
Which of the 10 elements has the highest magnetic properties (most
paramagnetic)?

(C.) Show the electron configuration of each of the following atoms:

(a) (c)
28 73
Si Ge
14 32

(b)
108
Ag
47

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(D.) Show the orbital diagram for each of the following atoms.

(a) (b)
16 40
O Ca
8 20

Exercises/ Activities (Part II)

1. Find the electron configurations of the following:
a. silicon
b. tin
c. lead

2. Scenario: You are currently studying the element iodine and wish to
use its electron distributions to aid you in your work.
a. Find the electron configuration of iodine
b. How many unpaired electrons does iodine have?

3. Identify the following elements:

a. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d6
b. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d7
c. 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4
d, 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p6 6s2 4f14 5d10 6p4

4. Guide Questions
a. In your own words describe how to write an electron configuration
and why it is an important skill in the study of chemistry.

b. Describe the major concepts (Hunds, Pauli...etc.) and explain why

each is a key part of the "tool kit" when describing electron
configurations

c. Why is it possible to abbreviate electron configurations with a

noble gas in the noble gas notation?

Summary/Reflection
Knowing electron configurations helps us determine the valence electrons on
an atom. This is important because valence electrons contribute to the unique
chemistry of each atom. This is important when describing an electron
configuration in terms of the orbital diagrams

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References
• CHED Teaching Guide for Senior High School GENERAL
CHEMISTRY 1 SPECIALIZED SUBJECT -ACADEMIC STEM.
Retrieved July 29, 2020 from
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B9Eg9DdzmSYCNS1UZUo5U
GZuUGM?fbclid=IwAR2HX9o3eRlX3RIq4C281gvUcwmC9Cc2xzA
XnEfmCqL61OeLGafvao3_62U
• Quiming, N., & Sacramento, J., (2016). General Chemistry 1. Vibal
Group Inc.
• Villamar, R.A. Jr., (2004) Chemistry. St. Bernadetted Publications Inc.
• More, Fred H., Fundamentals of Chemistry. Reliable Publishing House
Inc.

NOTE:
• Answer Exercises/ Activities (Part I) and (Part II) and
assessment as required outputs to be submitted.

ASSESSMENT will be done online. A 10-item test created in

Google Form and the link will be sent on the STEM group
chat for you to click and open to answer the multiple-choice
type of questions.

Those who are in quarantine or under community lockdown,

you may opt to pass the pictures of your outputs and send
through your class group chat on messenger.

Please follow the assigned schedule for the submission of

answer sheets/outputs per week.

Queries/clarifications about the lesson will entertained

through text messaging or in FB messenger on weekdays
(Mon-Fri), 8:00-11:00 & 1:00-5:00)
Thank you!!!

Prepared by:

JAYSSE JAMES P. PADILLA

SHS,Teacher II

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