Electronic Structure Activity
These two activities use data as evidence to support the concept of shells (Electronic Structure Part I) and subshells (Electronic Structure Part II) to describe the arrangements of electrons in elements. In Electronic Structure Part I ionization energy data is used to build the energy level diagram for atoms. In Electronic Structure Part II photoelectron (PES) data is used to invent the concept of subshells. At the end of the two activities the students are able to write electron configurations for elements in the periodic table, and describe periodic properties of the elements (ionization energies and atomic radii).
Activity (Electronic Structure Part I)
(http://genchem1.chem.okstate.edu/BDA/DCIs/ElectronicStructureI.pdf)
Answers (Electronic Structure Part I)
(http://genchem1.chem.okstate.edu/BDA/DCIs/ElectronicStructureIAns.pdf)
Activity (Electronic Structure Part II)
(http://genchem1.chem.okstate.edu/BDA/DCIs/ElectronicStructureII.pdf)
Answers (Electronic Structure Part II)
(http://genchem1.chem.okstate.edu/BDA/DCIs/ElectronicStructureIIAns.pdf)
Electron
Configuration (HTML5 Version, updated 1/27/21) This page was designed and written by Vic Kovacs. Vic is an Electrical Engineer who came across the original Flash version of the Electron Configuration animation and has updated it to an HTML5 version. Many have requested an HTML5 version and Vic has developed it. If you have any comments or suggestions you are welcome to forward them to me and I can pass them along. NOTE: Click on Block or Traditional to display a periodic Table.
Periodic Properties Notes covering atomic radii, ionization energy, and electron affinity.
Activity (Electron Configuration)
(http://genchem1.chem.okstate.edu/DCICLA/Aufbau.pdf)
Multi-Electron Energy Level Diagram
Multi-Electron Energy Level Diagram Multi-electron Energy Level Diagram (showing how the energy of an electron in a particular subshell changes with increasing protons (and electrons).
The Interactive Digital Overheads consist of a collection of animations one of which shows the photoelectron spectra for the first 21 elements.
The old Flash animation below shows a dynamic energy level diagram for the first 54 elements in the periodic table. NOTE: Since Flash animations are no longer supported here is documentation on how to download the Flash debugger software which will allow playing an .swf file. For the electron configuration animation the location is : http://introchem.chem.okstate.edu/DCICLA/aufbau.swf
Animation (Electron Configuration) Here is the animation as an mp4 movie.
(http://introchem.chem.okstate.edu/DCICLA/Aufbau.html)