IB Chemistry · S1.3 · SL

S1.3 Electron configurations (SL)

15 revision questions with answers for S1.3 Electron configurations (SL). Read them here, or play the set as a class game on the projector. Free to host, and students join with a code.

A question from this set

Bright lines on a black background, produced as excited electrons fall to lower levels?

  • Absorption spectrum
  • Continuous spectrum
  • Mass spectrum
  • Emission spectrumRight answer
From S1.3 Electron configurations (SL), 15 questions.

What this set covers

Emission spectra and the Bohr picture of hydrogen lead into sublevel capacities, the three filling rules and full configurations for atoms and ions, including the chromium exception and Fe²⁺.

Common mix-up
Students often mix up Hund's rule and the Pauli exclusion principle: one is about filling degenerate orbitals singly first, the other about two opposite spins per orbital.
Revision tip
Write the configurations of iron, chromium and Fe²⁺ on a blank page, then draw the orbital boxes for nitrogen to see why it has three unpaired electrons.

All 15 questions and answers

  1. Bright lines on a black background, produced as excited electrons fall to lower levels?

    Answer: Emission spectrum

  2. In hydrogen's spectrum, lines get closer together at higher energy until they…?

    Answer: Converge

  3. Visible lines in hydrogen's spectrum come from transitions down to which level?

    Answer: n = 2

  4. Transitions down to n = 1 in hydrogen emit radiation in which region?

    Answer: Ultraviolet

  5. A higher-energy photon has a higher frequency and a shorter…?

    Answer: Wavelength

  6. Maximum number of electrons in a d sublevel?

    Answer: 10

  7. Maximum number of electrons in the n = 3 energy level?

    Answer: 18

  8. Rule that an orbital holds at most two electrons, with opposite spins?

    Answer: Pauli exclusion principle

  9. Electrons occupy degenerate orbitals singly, spins parallel, before pairing: this is…?

    Answer: Hund's rule

  10. Filling orbitals in order of increasing energy follows the…?

    Answer: Aufbau principle

  11. Sublevel filled immediately after 4s?

    Answer: 3d

  12. Unpaired electrons in a ground-state nitrogen atom?

    Answer: 3

  13. Condensed electron configuration of iron (Z = 26)?

    Answer: [Ar] 3d⁶ 4s²

  14. Condensed electron configuration of chromium (Z = 24)?

    Answer: [Ar] 3d⁵ 4s¹

  15. Electron configuration of the Fe²⁺ ion (Z = 26)?

    Answer: [Ar] 3d⁶

Play it as a class game

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