Free Electron Configuration Calculator

Calculate key electron configuration properties including the number of electrons in each shell, valence electrons, and core electrons from the atomic number.

Total Electrons

11

Period3

Total Electrons vs Atomic Number (Z)

Electron Configuration

How It Works

Electrons fill orbitals following three rules: 1. Aufbau Principle: Fill lowest energy orbitals first (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, ...) 2. Pauli Exclusion: Each orbital holds at most 2 electrons with opposite spins 3. Hund's Rule: Within a subshell, one electron goes in each orbital before pairing

The order of filling follows the diagonal rule or is memorized from periodic table blocks.

Example Calculation

Find the electron configuration of sodium (Z = 11).

  1. 01Z = 11, so 11 electrons to place
  2. 021s² (2 electrons, 9 remaining)
  3. 032s² (2 electrons, 7 remaining)
  4. 042p⁶ (6 electrons, 1 remaining)
  5. 053s¹ (1 electron, 0 remaining)
  6. 06Configuration: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹
  7. 07Noble gas notation: [Ne] 3s¹
  8. 08Valence electrons: 1

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