What is the Electron Configuration of Chlorine (Cl)?

The electron configuration of chlorine (Cl) is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁵.

Here’s a breakdown of what this means:

• 1s²: The first energy level (n=1) has 2 electrons in the s orbital.
• 2s² 2p⁶: The second energy level (n=2) has 2 electrons in the s orbital and 6 electrons in the p orbital, totaling 8 electrons.
• 3s² 3p⁵: The third energy level (n=3) has 2 electrons in the s orbital and 5 electrons in the p orbital, totaling 7 electrons.

Chlorine has 17 electrons in total, and this configuration shows how these electrons are distributed across different energy levels and orbitals. The outermost shell (3p⁵) has 7 electrons, which explains why chlorine is highly reactive and tends to gain one electron to achieve a stable octet configuration.