An electron configuration records the occupation of electron shells and electron subshells by Electrons. For neutral sodium in its ground state, gives Electrons; adding the occupations within each electron shell gives . A superscript counts Electrons, rather than multiplying the preceding labels. Removing the outer Electron gives the sodium ion with , or . See Flowers et al., Chemistry 2e, electron configurations of atoms and ions.
Articles by others on the same topic
Electron configuration is the distribution of electrons in an atom's atomic orbitals. It describes the arrangement of electrons in relation to the energy levels and subshells that make up the electron cloud surrounding the nucleus. The configuration provides insights into the chemical properties of the element, such as its reactivity, ionization energy, and the types of bonds it can form.
