How are inert gas cores used as a shorthand for electronic configuration?

1 Answer
anor277
May 28, 2017

Use the configuration of the inert gas core as a basis...........

Explanation:

For atomic lithium we have a configuration of #1s^(2)2s^(1)#. We COULD use the known configuration of helium to write #[He]2s^1#. All the chemistry is going to occur outside the inert gas core........

And then we go to neon, #Z=10:1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)#, and then sodium, #Z=11:1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^1#. We have a valence electron tacked onto an inert gas core, i.e. #[Ne]3s^1#. How does you represent magnesium? How about potassium?

Do you get the picture?

Edited for a mistake. With all these problems you SHOULD have your Periodic Table in front of you.

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