Subshells

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Subshell label Max electrons Shells containing it Historical name
s 0 2 Every shell  sharp
p 1 6 2nd shell and higher  principal
d 2 10 3rd shell and higher  diffuse
f 3 14 4th shell and higher  fundamental
g 4 18 5th shell and higher (theoretically) (next in alphabet after f)
h 5 22 6th shell and higher (theoretically) (next in alphabet after g)
i 6 26 7th shell and higher (theoretically) (next in alphabet after h)
j 7 32 8th shell and higher (theoretically) (next in alphabet after i)

Number of electrons in each shell

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Shells and subshells. The number of filled cells is the number of electrons at the level. Red color indicates sublevel s; orange - p; yellow - d; green - f; blue - g; indigo - h; violet - i
Shell
name
Level Subshell
name
Subshell
max
electrons
Shell
max
electrons
K 0 1s 2 2
L 1 2s 2 2 + 6 = 8
2p 6
M 2 3s 2 2 + 6 + 10
= 18
3p 6
3d 10
N 3 4s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14
= 32
4p 6
4d 10
4f 14
O 4 5s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 = 50
5p 6
5d 10
5f 14
5g 18
P 5 6s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 + 22 = 72
6p 6
6d 10
6f 14
6g 18
6h 22
Q 6 7s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 + 22 +
26 = 98
7p 6
7d 10
7f 14
7g 18
7h 22
7i 26
R 7 8s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 + 22 +
26 + 30 = 128
8p 6
8d 10
8f 14
8g 18
8h 22
8i 26
8j 30
S 8 9s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 + 22 +
26 + 30 +
34 = 162
9p 6
9d 10
9f 14
9g 18
9h 22
9i 26
9j 30
9k 34

Each subshell is constrained to hold 4 + 2 electrons at most, namely:

  • Each s subshell holds at most 2 electrons
  • Each p subshell holds at most 6 electrons
  • Each d subshell holds at most 10 electrons
  • Each f subshell holds at most 14 electrons
  • Each g subshell holds at most 18 electrons
  • Each h subshell holds at most 22 electrons
  • Each i subshell holds at most 26 electrons
  • Each j subshell holds at most 30 electrons
  • Each k subshell holds at most 34 electrons

List of elements with electrons per shell

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Z Element No. of electrons/shell Group
1 Hydrogen 1 1
2 Helium 2 18
3 Lithium 2, 1 1
4 Beryllium 2, 2 2
5 Boron 2, 3 13
6 Carbon 2, 4 14
7 Nitrogen 2, 5 15
8 Oxygen 2, 6 16
9 Fluorine 2, 7 17
10 Neon 2, 8 18
11 Sodium 2, 8, 1 1
12 Magnesium 2, 8, 2 2
13 Aluminium 2, 8, 3 13
14 Silicon 2, 8, 4 14
15 Phosphorus 2, 8, 5 15
16 Sulfur 2, 8, 6 16
17 Chlorine 2, 8, 7 17
18 Argon 2, 8, 8 18
19 Potassium 2, 8, 8, 1 1
20 Calcium 2, 8, 8, 2 2
21 Scandium 2, 8, 9, 2 3
22 Titanium 2, 8, 10, 2 4
23 Vanadium 2, 8, 11, 2 5
24 Chromium 2, 8, 13, 1 6
25 Manganese 2, 8, 13, 2 7
26 Iron 2, 8, 14, 2 8
27 Cobalt 2, 8, 15, 2 9
28 Nickel 2, 8, 16, 2 10
29 Copper 2, 8, 18, 1 11
30 Zinc 2, 8, 18, 2 12
31 Gallium 2, 8, 18, 3 13
32 Germanium 2, 8, 18, 4 14
33 Arsenic 2, 8, 18, 5 15
34 Selenium 2, 8, 18, 6 16
35 Bromine 2, 8, 18, 7 17
36 Krypton 2, 8, 18, 8 18
37 Rubidium 2, 8, 18, 8, 1 1
38 Strontium 2, 8, 18, 8, 2 2
39 Yttrium 2, 8, 18, 9, 2 3
40 Zirconium 2, 8, 18, 10, 2 4
41 Niobium 2, 8, 18, 12, 1 5
42 Molybdenum 2, 8, 18, 13, 1 6
43 Technetium 2, 8, 18, 13, 2 7
44 Ruthenium 2, 8, 18, 15, 1 8
45 Rhodium 2, 8, 18, 16, 1 9
46 Palladium 2, 8, 18, 18 10
47 Silver 2, 8, 18, 18, 1 11
48 Cadmium 2, 8, 18, 18, 2 12
49 Indium 2, 8, 18, 18, 3 13
50 Tin 2, 8, 18, 18, 4 14
51 Antimony 2, 8, 18, 18, 5 15
52 Tellurium 2, 8, 18, 18, 6 16
53 Iodine 2, 8, 18, 18, 7 17
54 Xenon 2, 8, 18, 18, 8 18
55 Caesium 2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 1 1
56 Barium 2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 2 2
57 Lanthanum 2, 8, 18, 18, 9, 2 3
58 Cerium 2, 8, 18, 19, 9, 2
59 Praseodymium 2, 8, 18, 21, 8, 2
60 Neodymium 2, 8, 18, 22, 8, 2
61 Promethium 2, 8, 18, 23, 8, 2
62 Samarium 2, 8, 18, 24, 8, 2
63 Europium 2, 8, 18, 25, 8, 2
64 Gadolinium 2, 8, 18, 25, 9, 2
65 Terbium 2, 8, 18, 27, 8, 2
66 Dysprosium 2, 8, 18, 28, 8, 2
67 Holmium 2, 8, 18, 29, 8, 2
68 Erbium 2, 8, 18, 30, 8, 2
69 Thulium 2, 8, 18, 31, 8, 2
70 Ytterbium 2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2
71 Lutetium 2, 8, 18, 32, 9, 2
72 Hafnium 2, 8, 18, 32, 10, 2 4
73 Tantalum 2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2 5
74 Tungsten 2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2 6
75 Rhenium 2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2 7
76 Osmium 2, 8, 18, 32, 14, 2 8
77 Iridium 2, 8, 18, 32, 15, 2 9
78 Platinum 2, 8, 18, 32, 17, 1 10
79 Gold 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 1 11
80 Mercury 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2 12
81 Thallium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 3 13
82 Lead 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 4 14
83 Bismuth 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5 15
84 Polonium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 6 16
85 Astatine 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 7 17
86 Radon 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8 18
87 Francium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 1 1
88 Radium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 2 2
89 Actinium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 9, 2 3
90 Thorium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 10, 2
91 Protactinium 2, 8, 18, 32, 20, 9, 2
92 Uranium 2, 8, 18, 32, 21, 9, 2
93 Neptunium 2, 8, 18, 32, 22, 9, 2
94 Plutonium 2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2
95 Americium 2, 8, 18, 32, 25, 8, 2
96 Curium 2, 8, 18, 32, 25, 9, 2
97 Berkelium 2, 8, 18, 32, 27, 8, 2
98 Californium 2, 8, 18, 32, 28, 8, 2
99 Einsteinium 2, 8, 18, 32, 29, 8, 2
100 Fermium 2, 8, 18, 32, 30, 8, 2
101 Mendelevium 2, 8, 18, 32, 31, 8, 2
102 Nobelium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 8, 2
103 Lawrencium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 8, 3
104 Rutherfordium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 10, 2 4
105 Dubnium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 11, 2 5
106 Seaborgium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 12, 2 6
107 Bohrium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 13, 2 7
108 Hassium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 14, 2 8
109 Meitnerium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 15, 2 (?) 9
110 Darmstadtium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 16, 2 (?) 10
111 Roentgenium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 17, 2 (?) 11
112 Copernicium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 2 (?) 12
113 Nihonium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 3 (?) 13
114 Flerovium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 4 (?) 14
115 Moscovium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 5 (?) 15
116 Livermorium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 6 (?) 16
117 Tennessine 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 7 (?) 17
118 Oganesson 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 8 (?) 18
119 Ununennium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 8, 1 1
120 Unbinilium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 8, 2 2
121 Unbiunium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 8, 3 3
122 Unbibium
123 Unbitrium
124 Unbiquadium
125 Unbipentium
126 Unbihexium
127 Unbiseptium
128 Unbioctium
129 Unbiennium
130 Untrinilium
131 Untriunium
132 Untribium
133 Untritrium
134 Untriquadium
135 Untripentium
136 Untrihexium 4
137 Untriseptium 5
138 Untrioctium 6
139 Untriennium 7
140 Unquadnilium 8
141 Unquadunium 9
142 Unquadbium 10
143 Unquadtrium 11
144 Unquadquadium 12
145 Unquadpentium 13
146 Unquadhexium 14
147 Unquadseptium 15
148 Unquadoctium 16
149 Unquadennium 17
150 Unpentnilium 18
151 Unpentunium 1
152 Unpentbium 2
153 Unpenttrium 3
154 Unpentquadium
155 Unpentpentium
156 Unpenthexium
157 Unpentseptium
158 Unpentoctium
159 Unpentennium
160 Unhexnilium
161 Unhexunium
162 Unhexbium
163 Unhextrium
164 Unhexquadium
165 Unhexpentium
166 Unhexhexium
167 Unhexseptium
168 Unhexoctium 4
169 Unhexennium 5
170 Unseptnilium 6
171 Unseptunium 7
172 Unseptbium 8
173 Unsepttrium 9