Where does the 5s sublevel go?

  • Thread starter Dgonzo15
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In summary, the first four subshells follow a pattern of one s sublevel, then s and p, then s, p, and d, and finally s, p, d, and f. For the 5th atomic shell, the s sublevel would go in the 5th shell (n=5), and for the 7th s sublevel, it would go in the 7th shell (n=7). However, the f and d sublevels may not follow the same pattern, as by the time we reach the 5th atomic shell, all four d sublevels and two f sublevels are used up. This means that the 7th shell may only have s and p sublevels
  • #1
Dgonzo15
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The first four subshells have one s sublevel, then s and p, then s, p, and d, and then s, p, d, and f, respectively. Where does the 5s go? Does it go in the fifth atomic shell? If that's the case, where does the 7th s sublevel go? From my understanding, the 7th s sublevel would go in the 7th shell (n=7), but what would happen with the f and d sublevels? Looking at the periodic table, there are only 4 d sublevels and 2 f sublevels, so by the time we reach the 5th atomic shell, we use up the last f sublevel and at the 6th we use the last d sublevel, so will the 7th shell be composed only of s and p sublevels?!
 
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  • #2
Do you know the Aufbau principle? It is not that there is no "7f", it exists, it just happens there are no known elements where it is filled in the ground state.
 

1. Where does the 5s sublevel go in the electron configuration?

The 5s sublevel goes after the 4p sublevel in the electron configuration.

2. Is the 5s sublevel always filled before the 4d sublevel?

No, the 5s sublevel is not always filled before the 4d sublevel. The order of filling sublevels can vary depending on the element's atomic number.

3. Can the 5s sublevel hold more than 2 electrons?

Yes, the 5s sublevel can hold up to 2 electrons. Each sublevel can hold a maximum of 2 electrons according to the Pauli exclusion principle.

4. Why is the 5s sublevel always filled before the 4d sublevel in transition metals?

This is because the 4d sublevel has a higher energy level than the 5s sublevel. According to the Aufbau principle, sublevels with lower energy levels are filled before sublevels with higher energy levels.

5. How does the 5s sublevel contribute to an element's chemical properties?

The 5s sublevel contributes to an element's chemical properties by determining the element's reactivity and the number of valence electrons. The electrons in the 5s sublevel are the outermost electrons and are involved in chemical bonding.

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