Subshells
editSubshell label | ℓ | 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
editShell 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 4ℓ + 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
editZ | 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 |