How do you do shorthand notation for electron configuration?

1 Answer
Sep 14, 2017

Well, we know that the elements build on a closed-shell inert gas configuration....

Explanation:

And thus we have for #He, Z=2#, i.e. #1s^(2)#. For #Li, Z=3#, we could write #[He]2s^1#; or for #Na, Z=11#, #Mg, Z=12#, we could write....#[Ne]3s^1#, or #[Ne]3s^2# respectively. All the chemistry is going to occur with respect to the valence electrons, and the inner core in largely inert.....