Holmium electron configuration

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The holmium electron configuration, represented as [Xe] 6s² 4f¹¹ or 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹¹, illustrates the systematic distribution of electrons within the atom. This configuration can be determined through various methods, including the aufbau principle, periodic table organization, Bohr model representation, or orbital diagram visualization.

Methods

Aufbau principle

• First, find electrons of holmium atom

The atomic number of holmium represents the total number of electrons of holmium. Since the atomic number of holmium is 67, the total electrons of holmium are 67.

• Second, make a table of subshell and its maximum electrons

Calculate the maximum number of electrons each subshell can hold using the formula: 4ℓ + 2

Where, ℓ = azimuthal quantum number of the subshell

For s subshell, ℓ = 0
For p subshell, ℓ = 1
For d subshell, ℓ = 2
For f subshell, ℓ = 3

subshell	max. electrons
s	2
p	6
d	10
f	14

This means that,

Each s subshell can hold maximum 2 electrons
Each p subshell can hold maximum 6 electrons
Each d subshell can hold maximum 10 electrons
Each f subshell can hold maximum 14 electrons

• Finally, use aufbau chart and start writing electron configuration

Remember that we have a total of 67 electrons.

According to the aufbau principle, 1s subshell is filled first and then 2s, 2p, 3s… and so on.

By looking at the chart, you can see that electrons are first filled in 1s subshell. Each s-subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so we will use 2 electrons for the 1s subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s². Where, 1s² indicates that the 1s subshell has 2 electrons.

Now we have used 2 electrons in the 1s subshell, so we have a total of 67 – 2 = 65 electrons left.

Looking at the chart, after 1s subshell now comes 2s subshell. Again, each s-subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so we will use 2 electrons for the 2s subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s². Where, 2s² indicates that the 2s subshell has 2 electrons.

Again, we have used 2 electrons in the 2s subshell, so we have a total of 65 – 2 = 63 electrons left.

After 2s subshell now comes 2p subshell. Each p-subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons, so we will use 6 electrons for the 2p subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶. Where, 2p⁶ indicates that the 2p subshell has 6 electrons.

Here, we have used 6 electrons in the 2p subshell, so we have a total of 63 – 6 = 57 electrons left.

After 2p subshell now comes 3s subshell. Each s-subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so we will use 2 electrons for the 3s subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s². Where, 3s² indicates that the 3s subshell has 2 electrons.

Here, we have used 2 electrons in the 3s subshell, so we have a total of 57 – 2 = 55 electrons left.

After 3s subshell now comes 3p subshell. Each p-subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons, so we will use 6 electrons for the 3p subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶. Where, 3p⁶ indicates that the 3p subshell has 6 electrons.

Here, we have used 6 electrons in the 3p subshell, so we have a total of 55 – 6 = 49 electrons left.

After 3p subshell now comes 4s subshell. Each s-subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so we will use 2 electrons for the 4s subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s². Where, 4s² indicates that the 4s subshell has 2 electrons.

Here, we have used 2 electrons in the 4s subshell, so we have a total of 49 – 2 = 47 electrons left.

After 4s subshell now comes 3d subshell. Each d-subshell can hold a maximum of 10 electrons, so we will use 10 electrons for the 3d subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰. Where, 3d¹⁰ indicates that the 3d subshell has 10 electrons.

Here, we have used 10 electrons in the 3d subshell, so we have a total of 47 – 10 = 37 electrons left.

After 3d subshell now comes 4p subshell. Each p-subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons, so we will use 6 electrons for the 4p subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶. Where, 4p⁶ indicates that the 4p subshell has 6 electrons.

Here, we have used 6 electrons in the 4p subshell, so we have a total of 37 – 6 = 31 electrons left.

After 4p subshell now comes 5s subshell. Each s-subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so we will use 2 electrons for the 5s subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s². Where, 5s² indicates that the 5s subshell has 2 electrons.

Here, we have used 2 electrons in the 5s subshell, so we have a total of 31 – 2 = 29 electrons left.

After 5s subshell now comes 4d subshell. Each d-subshell can hold a maximum of 10 electrons, so we will use 10 electrons for the 4d subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰. Where, 4d¹⁰ indicates that the 4d subshell has 10 electrons.

Here, we have used 10 electrons in the 4d subshell, so we have a total of 29 – 10 = 19 electrons left.

After 4d subshell now comes 5p subshell. Each p-subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons, so we will use 6 electrons for the 5p subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶. Where, 5p⁶ indicates that the 5p subshell has 6 electrons.

Here, we have used 6 electrons in the 5p subshell, so we have a total of 19 – 6 = 13 electrons left.

After 5p subshell now comes 6s subshell. Each s-subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so we will use 2 electrons for the 6s subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s². Where, 6s² indicates that the 6s subshell has 2 electrons.

Here, we have used 2 electrons in the 6s subshell, so we have a total of 13 – 2 = 11 electrons left.

After 6s subshell now comes 4f subshell. Each f-subshell can hold a maximum of 14 electrons, but here we have only 11 electrons left, so we will use that 11 electrons for the 4f subshell.

So the electron configuration will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹¹. Where, 4f¹¹ indicates that the 4f subshell has 11 electrons.

Therefore, the final electron configuration of holmium is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹¹. And the condensed/abbreviated electron configuration of holmium is [Xe] 6s² 4f¹¹.

Where, Xe is xenon

Periodic table

• First, get periodic table chart with spdf notation

The above image shows periodic table blocks.

The ‘s’ in s block represents that all s block elements have their valence electrons in s subshell. Similarly, the ‘p’ in p block represents that all p block elements have their valence electrons in p subshell. And so on for d block and f block.

• Second, mark location of holmium on periodic table

Holmium is the f block element located in period 6. Hence, mark the location of holmium on the periodic table as follows:

• Finally, start writing electron configuration

Remember that: each s subshell can hold maximum 2 electrons, each p subshell can hold maximum 6 electrons, each d subshell can hold maximum 10 electrons, and each f subshell can hold maximum 14 electrons.

Start writing electron configuration from the very first element (i.e., hydrogen) all the way up to holmium.

So the electron configuration of holmium will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹¹.

Bohr model

In the above image, 1 represents the 1^st electron shell. Similarly, 2 represents the 2^nd electron shell, 3 represents the 3^rd electron shell, 4 represents the 4^th electron shell, 5 represents the 5^th electron shell, and 6 represents the 6^th electron shell.

The 1^st electron shell contains 1s subshell, the 2^nd electron shell contains 2s and 2p subshells, the 3^rd electron shell contains 3s, 3p, and 3d subshells, the 4^th electron shell contains 4s, 4p, 4d, and 4f subshells, the 5^th electron shell contains 5s and 5p subshells, and the 6^th electron shell contains 6s subshell.

We know that each s subshell can hold maximum 2 electrons, each p subshell can hold maximum 6 electrons, each d subshell can hold maximum 10 electrons, and each f subshell can hold maximum 14 electrons.

Also, we have to make sure that the electron configuration will match the order of aufbau principle (i.e., the 1s subshell is filled first and then 2s, 2p, 3s… and so on).

So the electron configuration of holmium will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹¹.

Where,

1s² indicates that the 1s subshell has 2 electrons
2s² indicates that the 2s subshell has 2 electrons
2p⁶ indicates that the 2p subshell has 6 electrons
3s² indicates that the 3s subshell has 2 electrons
3p⁶ indicates that the 3p subshell has 6 electrons
4s² indicates that the 4s subshell has 2 electrons
3d¹⁰ indicates that the 3d subshell has 10 electrons
4p⁶ indicates that the 4p subshell has 6 electrons
5s² indicates that the 5s subshell has 2 electrons
4d¹⁰ indicates that the 4d subshell has 10 electrons
5p⁶ indicates that the 5p subshell has 6 electrons
6s² indicates that the 6s subshell has 2 electrons
4f¹¹ indicates that the 4f subshell has 11 electrons

Orbital diagram

The above orbital diagram shows that the 1s subshell has 2 electrons, the 2s subshell has 2 electrons, the 2p subshell has 6 electrons, the 3s subshell has 2 electrons, the 3p subshell has 6 electrons, the 4s subshell has 2 electrons, the 3d subshell has 10 electrons, the 4p subshell has 6 electrons, the 5s subshell has 2 electrons, the 4d subshell has 10 electrons, the 5p subshell has 6 electrons, the 6s subshell has 2 electrons, and the 4f subshell has 11 electrons.

So the electron configuration of holmium will be 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹¹.

Next: Erbium electron configuration

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Related

• Periodic table

More topics

• Holmium

External links

• https://materials.gelsonluz.com/2019/08/electron-configuration-of-holmium-ho.html
• https://valenceelectrons.com/holmium-electron-configuration/
• https://periodictable.me/holmium-electron-configuration/