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GOB Chemistry

Learn the toughest concepts covered in your GOB - General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry class with step-by-step video tutorials and practice problems.

Table of contents
Atoms and the Periodic Table

The Electron Configuration: Condensed

Condensed Electron Configurations are a faster method in determining the configuration of elements and ions. 

Condensed Electron Configurations
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concept

The Electron Configuration: Condensed

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we're going to say here that the condensed electron configuration is a faster way to write out electron arrangements for elements or ions. We're going to say with condensed electron configurations. We start at the last noble gas before the desired element. And if we take a look here, remember this is our reimagining of the periodic table. We have our S blanc, Where begins with one s. We have our P. Block here. We have our D. Block here and we have our F block down here with the condensed electron configuration. It's important to know which elements are we being asked to find the electron configuration of And what's the noble gas before it? We're gonna say moving forward. This will be the primary method to write electron configurations because it's the faster easier way to do it. Unless they say full ground state electron configuration, we usually just assume that this is the method they want us to write the electron configuration. So now that we know what the condensed electron configuration is, click on the next video and let's get to work on an example question
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example

The Electron Configuration: Condensed Example 1

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here, it says to provide the condense electron configuration for the aluminum atom. Adam means that we're dealing with the neutral form of it. If you look on the periodic table. So step one, we have to find the element on the periodic table. So aluminum has an atomic number of 13, which means it has 13 electrons involved. Step two, we're gonna locate the noble gas that comes before the element and place it inside brackets. So the noble gas before aluminum is neon. So put it in brackets. Step three, continuing from the noble gas in brackets complete the rest of the electron configuration. So we dealt with neon. So let's continue onward, toe aluminum. So next would come three s to and then three p. One. So this would be the condensed electron configuration of aluminum instead of having to write one s two to us to two p six. Three s 23 p. One. We have this new condense electron configuration. Neon here is taking the spot off all of this so it's easier and faster for us to write the electron configuration of aluminum in this regard. So just remember, the condensed electron configuration saves us a lot of time in terms of writing out the electron arrangements for elements and ions
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Problem

Write the condensed electron configuration and electron orbital diagram for the following element:Zinc 

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