CHEMISTRY YEAR 09 Class activity sheet-10 (Electronic configuration)

Lesson objectives:
By the end of this lesson, about 70% of the learners should be able to:

Define the terms nucleus, electronic configuration and write electronic configuration

Draw diagrams to show the distribution of sub-atomic particles in an atom

Relate electronic configuration to position of an element on the Periodic Table.

Recap of previous lesson:

What can you recall about the last lesson?
Prompt for prior knowledge:
What do you known about electronic configuration?

Electronic configuration
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Electrons are arranged in groups at different distances from the nucleus.

Shells also called energy levels are numbered beginning from the nucleus

Definition: The nucleus of an atom is a tiny dense positively charged central region of
an atom.
Activity 01: Number the shells on the diagram below round the nucleus.

nucleus

Writing electronic configuration

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The electronic configuration of an atom can be written if the total number of electrons in
the atom is known. The number of electrons in an atom is equal to its atomic number.
The electronic configuration of an ion can be written if the total number of electrons in
the ion is known. The number of electrons in an ion is equal to its atomic number minus
the charge on the ion.
The first shell of every atom takes a maximum of two (2) electrons except hydrogen
atom which has only one electron.
The first shell of hydrogen has only one electron as hydrogen has only one electron.
From the second shell of an atom onward, a maximum of eight (8) electrons can be
entered. These rules apply on to the first twenty elements on the periodic Table.

Definition: The Electronic configuration of an element is the manner in which

electrons are arranged in the space (shells) around the nucleus.
Activity 02: Complete the table below by writing the number of electrons and the
electronic configuration of the elements shown.
Element

Hydrogen
Helium
Lithium
Fluorine
Neon
Sulphur
Argon
Potassium
Calcium

symbol

H
He
Li
F
Ne
S
Ar
K
Ca

Atomic
number
1
2
3
9
10
16
18
19
20

Number of electrons

Electronic configuration

Distribution of sub-atomic particles

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Protons and neutrons are in the nucleus while electrons are distributed in shells in a
pattern called the electronic configuration.
The diagrams below show two different ways by which the distribution of sub-atomic
particles in an atom can be represented. One way is shown for a helium (He) atom and
another way for a sodium (Na) atom.

Activity 03:
(a) (i) How many protons are there in the nucleus of a helium atom? .
(ii) How many neutrons are there in the nucleus of a helium atom? .
(iii) How many electrons are there in the shell of a helium atom? .
(iv) Write down the electronic configuration of helium.
(b) (i) How many protons are there in the nucleus of a sodium atom?
(ii) How many neutrons are there in the nucleus of a sodium atom?
(iii) How many electrons are there in the shell of a sodium atom?
(iv) Write down the electronic configuration of sodium.

Importance of electronic configuration

-

It helps to deduce the number of electrons in a neutral atom.

It helps to deduce the group of an element on the Periodic Table.
The number of electrons in the outer most shell of an atom called the valence
electrons is equal to the group of an element
- It helps to deduce the period of an element on the Periodic Table. The total number of
sets of electrons in an electronic configuration is equal to the period of the element.
- The electronic configuration of phosphorus is 2:8:5. This shows that:
Phosphorus is a period 3 element because its electronic configuration is divided
into three sets of electrons beginning with a set of 2 followed by 8 and ending with
5.
Phosphorus a is a group 5 element because its outermost shell has five electrons.
The atomic number of phosphorus is 2 + 8 + 5 = 15.

Activity 04: The electronic configuration of an element X is 2:8:18:7.

(a) State the period to which element X belongs to on the Periodic Table.
(b) State the number of electrons in the outer shell of element X. ...
(c) State the group to which element X belongs to on the Periodic Table. .
(d) Deduce the atomic number of element X. .
Activity 05: The atomic number of an element Y is 14.
(a) Write down the electronic configuration of element Y. .
(b) State the period to which element Y belongs to on the Periodic Table.
(c) State the number of electrons in the outer shell of element Y. ...
(d) State the group to which element Y belongs to on the Periodic Table. .

Electrical neutrality of an atom

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Every atom is electrically neutral. This is because it contains equal number of protons
and electrons.
Activity 04:
(a) Is an atom with 10 protons and 10 electrons neutral? Explain. ..

(b) Is an atom with 11 protons and 10 electrons neutral? Explain. ..