
This list of electron configurations of elements contains all the elements in increasing order of atomic number.
To save room, the configurations are in noble gas shorthand. This means part of the electron configuration has been replaced with the element symbol of the noble gas symbol. Look up the electronic configuration of that noble gas and include that value before the rest of the configuration. This table is available to download as a PDF to use as a study sheet.
NUMBER | ELEMENT | ELECTRON CONFIGURATION |
1 | Hydrogen | 1s1 |
2 | Helium | 1s2 |
3 | Lithium | [He]2s1 |
4 | Beryllium | [He]2s2 |
5 | Boron | [He]2s22p1 |
6 | Carbon | [He]2s22p2 |
7 | Nitrogen | [He]2s22p3 |
8 | Oxygen | [He]2s22p4 |
9 | Fluorine | [He]2s22p5 |
10 | Neon | [He]2s22p6 |
11 | Sodium | [Ne]3s1 |
12 | Magnesium | [Ne]3s2 |
13 | Aluminum | [Ne]3s23p1 |
14 | Silicon | [Ne]3s23p2 |
15 | Phosphorus | [Ne]3s23p3 |
16 | Sulfur | [Ne]3s23p4 |
17 | Chlorine | [Ne]3s23p5 |
18 | Argon | [Ne]3s23p6 |
19 | Potassium | [Ar]4s1 |
20 | Calcium | [Ar]4s2 |
21 | Scandium | [Ar]3d14s2 |
22 | Titanium | [Ar]3d24s2 |
23 | Vanadium | [Ar]3d34s2 |
24 | Chromium | [Ar]3d54s1 |
25 | Manganese | [Ar]3d54s2 |
26 | Iron | [Ar]3d64s2 |
27 | Cobalt | [Ar]3d74s2 |
28 | Nickel | [Ar]3d84s2 |
29 | Copper | [Ar]3d104s1 |
30 | Zinc | [Ar]3d104s2 |
31 | Gallium | [Ar]3d104s24p1 |
32 | Germanium | [Ar]3d104s24p2 |
33 | Arsenic | [Ar]3d104s24p3 |
34 | Selenium | [Ar]3d104s24p4 |
35 | Bromine | [Ar]3d104s24p5 |
36 | Krypton | [Ar]3d104s24p6 |
37 | Rubidium | [Kr]5s1 |
38 | Strontium | [Kr]5s2 |
39 | Yttrium | [Kr]4d15s2 |
40 | Zirconium | [Kr]4d25s2 |
41 | Niobium | [Kr]4d45s1 |
42 | Molybdenum | [Kr]4d55s1 |
43 | Technetium | [Kr]4d55s2 |
44 | Ruthenium | [Kr]4d75s1 |
45 | Rhodium | [Kr]4d85s1 |
46 | Palladium | [Kr]4d10 |
47 | Silver | [Kr]4d105s1 |
48 | Cadmium | [Kr]4d105s2 |
49 | Indium | [Kr]4d105s25p1 |
50 | Tin | [Kr]4d105s25p2 |
51 | Antimony | [Kr]4d105s25p3 |
52 | Tellurium | [Kr]4d105s25p4 |
53 | Iodine | [Kr]4d105s25p5 |
54 | Xenon | [Kr]4d105s25p6 |
55 | Cesium | [Xe]6s1 |
56 | Barium | [Xe]6s2 |
57 | Lanthanum | [Xe]5d16s2 |
58 | Cerium | [Xe]4f15d16s2 |
59 | Praseodymium | [Xe]4f36s2 |
60 | Neodymium | [Xe]4f46s2 |
61 | Promethium | [Xe]4f56s2 |
62 | Samarium | [Xe]4f66s2 |
63 | Europium | [Xe]4f76s2 |
64 | Gadolinium | [Xe]4f75d16s2 |
65 | Terbium | [Xe]4f96s2 |
66 | Dysprosium | [Xe]4f106s2 |
67 | Holmium | [Xe]4f116s2 |
68 | Erbium | [Xe]4f126s2 |
69 | Thulium | [Xe]4f136s2 |
70 | Ytterbium | [Xe]4f146s2 |
71 | Lutetium | [Xe]4f145d16s2 |
72 | Hafnium | [Xe]4f145d26s2 |
73 | Tantalum | [Xe]4f145d36s2 |
74 | Tungsten | [Xe]4f145d46s2 |
75 | Rhenium | [Xe]4f145d56s2 |
76 | Osmium | [Xe]4f145d66s2 |
77 | Iridium | [Xe]4f145d76s2 |
78 | Platinum | [Xe]4f145d96s1 |
79 | Gold | [Xe]4f145d106s1 |
80 | Mercury | [Xe]4f145d106s2 |
81 | Thallium | [Xe]4f145d106s26p1 |
82 | Lead | [Xe]4f145d106s26p2 |
83 | Bismuth | [Xe]4f145d106s26p3 |
84 | Polonium | [Xe]4f145d106s26p4 |
85 | Astatine | [Xe]4f145d106s26p5 |
86 | Radon | [Xe]4f145d106s26p6 |
87 | Francium | [Rn]7s1 |
88 | Radium | [Rn]7s2 |
89 | Actinium | [Rn]6d17s2 |
90 | Thorium | [Rn]6d27s2 |
91 | Protactinium | [Rn]5f26d17s2 |
92 | Uranium | [Rn]5f36d17s2 |
93 | Neptunium | [Rn]5f46d17s2 |
94 | Plutonium | [Rn]5f67s2 |
95 | Americium | [Rn]5f77s2 |
96 | Curium | [Rn]5f76d17s2 |
97 | Berkelium | [Rn]5f97s2 |
98 | Californium | [Rn]5f107s2 |
99 | Einsteinium | [Rn]5f117s2 |
100 | Fermium | [Rn]5f127s2 |
101 | Mendelevium | [Rn]5f137s2 |
102 | Nobelium | [Rn]5f147s2 |
103 | Lawrencium | [Rn]5f147s27p1 |
104 | Rutherfordium | [Rn]5f146d27s2 |
105 | Dubnium | *[Rn]5f146d37s2 |
106 | Seaborgium | *[Rn]5f146d47s2 |
107 | Bohrium | *[Rn]5f146d57s2 |
108 | Hassium | *[Rn]5f146d67s2 |
109 | Meitnerium | *[Rn]5f146d77s2 |
110 | Darmstadtium | *[Rn]5f146d97s1 |
111 | Roentgenium | *[Rn]5f146d107s1 |
112 | Copernium | *[Rn]5f146d107s2 |
113 | Nihonium | *[Rn]5f146d107s27p1 |
114 | Flerovium | *[Rn]5f146d107s27p2 |
115 | Moscovium | *[Rn]5f146d107s27p3 |
116 | Livermorium | *[Rn]5f146d107s27p4 |
117 | Tennessine | *[Rn]5f146d107s27p5 |
118 | Oganesson | *[Rn]5f146d107s27p6 |
Values denoted by an asterisk are predictions based on periodic table trends. Actual configurations have not been verified.
How to Find Electron Configuration
The electron configuration states where electrons are likely to be in an atom. If you don’t have a chart, you can still find the electron configuration. Use the element blocks of the periodic table to find the highest electron orbital. Alternatively, remember group 1 (alkali metals) and group 2 (alkaline earth metals) are s-block, groups 2 through 12 are the d-block, 13 to 18 are the p-block, and the two rows at the bottom of the table (the lanthanides and actinides) are f-block. The period or row numbers 1 through 7 are the energy levels of the elements.
The s orbital holds a maximum of 2 electrons. The p orbital can hold 6. The d orbital can hold 10. The f orbital can hold 14 electrons. But, the orbitals overlap. The Madelung rule gives the order:
1s < 2s < 2p < 3s < 3p < 4s < 3d < 4p < 5s < 4d < 5p < 6s < 4f < 5d < 6p < 7s < 5f < 6d < 7p
Oganesson (element 118) is a good example to show the order of the orbitals. Its electron configuration is:
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10 5p6 6s2 4f14 5d10 6p6 7s2 5f14 6d10 7p6
Alternatively, write the symbol for the noble gas before an element (radon, in this case), and just add the extra information:
[Rn] 5f14 6d10 7s2 7p6
Keep in mind, electron configurations are most stable when they are filled or half-filled. Also, the real electron configuration of an atom may differ from the prediction because of relativistic effects, shielding, etc.
References
- Langmuir, Irving (June 1919). “The Arrangement of Electrons in Atoms and Molecules”. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 41 (6): 868–934. doi:10.1021/ja02227a002
- Madelung, Erwin (1936). Mathematische Hilfsmittel des Physikers. Berlin: Springer.
- Rayner-Canham, Geoff; Overton, Tina (2014). Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry (6th ed.). Macmillan Education. ISBN 978-1-319-15411-0.