The electron configuration of gold is:
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6p⁶ 7s².
Explanation
Atomic number of gold: 79
A brief description of its electronic configuration is as follows;
first shell
Two electrons in the first shell’s 1s orbital.
second shell
2 electrons are present in shell 2
- 2 in the 2s orbital and
- 6 in the 2p orbitals,2 in each of the 2px, 2py, and 2pz orbitals.
third shell
2 electrons in the 3s orbital
and 6 in the 3p orbitals,2 in each of the 3px, 3py, and 3pz contribute in make up of shell 3.
fourth shell
- 2 electrons in the 4s orbital
- and 10 in the 3d orbitals—2 in each of the 3dxy, 3dxz, 3dyz, 3dx2-y2, and 3dz—make up shell 4.
Fifth shell
10 electrons in the 4d orbitals—
- 2 in each of the 4dxy, 4dxz, 4dyz, 4dx2-y2, and 4dz—and
- 2 in the 5s orbital which make up shell 5.
shell 6
With regard to the electrons in shell 6,
- there are two in the 6s orbital,
- fourteen in the 4f orbitals (two in each of the 4f),
- and ten in the 5d orbitals (two in each of the 5dxy, 5dxz, 5dyz, 5dx2-y2, and 5dz).
shell 7.
2 electrons in the 7s orbital for shell 7.
Table for electronic configuration of gold
Shell | Subshell | Orbitals | Number of Electrons |
1 | 1s | 1s | 2 |
2 | 2s | 2s | 2 |
2p | 2px, 2py, 2pz | 6 | |
3 | 3s | 3s | 2 |
3p | 3px, 3py, 3pz | 6 | |
4 | 3d | 3dxy, 3dxz, 3dyz, 3dx²-y², 3dz² | 10 |
5 | 4s | 4s | 2 |
4p | 4px, 4py, 4pz | 6 | |
6 | 4d | 4dxy, 4dxz, 4dyz, 4dx²-y², 4dz² | 10 |
7 | 5s | 5s | 2 |
5p | 5px, 5py, 5pz | 6 | |
8 | 4f | 4f | 14 |
9 | 5d | 5dxy, 5dxz, 5dyz, 5dx²-y², 5dz² | 10 |
10 | 6s | 6s | 2 |
11 | 5f | 5f | 14 |
12 | 6p | 6px, 6py, 6pz | 6 |
13 | 7s | 7s | 2 |
More Electronic Configurations
- Electronic configuration of fluorine
- Electronic configuration for zinc
- Electronic configuration of arsenic (As)
- Electronic configuration of beryllium
- Electronic configuration of Bismuth
- Electronic configuration of boron
- Electronic configuration of bromine
- Electronic configuration of chlorine
- Electronic configuration of cobalt
- Electronic configuration of copper
- Electronic configuration of germanium
- Electronic configuration of gold
- Electronic configuration of indium (In)
- Electronic configuration of iodine
- Electronic configuration of iridium (Ir)
- Electronic configuration of iron
- Electronic configuration of Krypton (Kr)