Electron configuration of gold

By: Prof. Dr. Fazal Rehman Shamil | Last updated: February 3, 2024

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

ShellSubshellOrbitalsNumber of Electrons
11s1s2
22s2s2
2p2px, 2py, 2pz6
33s3s2
3p3px, 3py, 3pz6
43d3dxy, 3dxz, 3dyz, 3dx²-y², 3dz²10
54s4s2
4p4px, 4py, 4pz6
64d4dxy, 4dxz, 4dyz, 4dx²-y², 4dz²10
75s5s2
5p5px, 5py, 5pz6
84f4f14
95d5dxy, 5dxz, 5dyz, 5dx²-y², 5dz²10
106s6s2
115f5f14
126p6px, 6py, 6pz6
137s7s2

More Electronic Configurations

  1. Electronic  configuration of fluorine
  2. Electronic configuration for zinc
  3. Electronic configuration of arsenic (As)
  4. Electronic configuration of beryllium
  5. Electronic configuration of Bismuth
  6. Electronic configuration of boron
  7. Electronic configuration of bromine
  8. Electronic configuration of chlorine
  9. Electronic configuration of cobalt
  10. Electronic configuration of copper
  11. Electronic configuration of germanium
  12. Electronic configuration of gold
  13. Electronic configuration of indium (In)
  14. Electronic configuration of iodine
  15. Electronic configuration of iridium (Ir)
  16. Electronic configuration of iron
  17. Electronic configuration of Krypton (Kr)