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Electron Structure

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Electronic Structure

Electrons have fixed positions in atoms called shells or energy levels. These shells (or energy levels) go around the atom's nucleus.

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Filling electron shells

  • Electrons fill an atom's shells in order of increasing energy.
    • The closer a shell is to the nucleus, the lower its energy level, so the first shell that is filled is the closest to the nucleus.
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Electron configuration

  • Electron configuration tells us how an atom's electrons are organised.
  • The inner shell (closest to the nucleus) can have a maximum of 2 electrons and the next two shells can have a maximum of 8 electrons.
  • Any extra electrons are then put into a fourth shell.

Jump to other topics

1Atomic Structure

2Chemical Bonding

3Quantitative Chemistry

4Chemical Changes

5Energy Changes

6The Rate & Extent of Chemical Change

7Organic Chemistry

8Chemical Analysis

9Chemistry of the Atmosphere

10Using Resources

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