The orbital diagram for phosphorus (P), which has an atomic number of 15, is a way to visualize the distribution of its electrons across its atomic orbitals.
Phosphorus has a total of 15 electrons. The electron configuration of phosphorus can be broken down as follows:
- 1s²
- 2s²
- 2p⁶
- 3s²
- 3p³
Now, let’s construct the orbital diagram:
1s: ↑↓
2s: ↑↓
2p: ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑
3s: ↑↓
3p: ↑ ↑ ↑
Explanation:
1. The electrons fill the orbitals starting from the lowest energy level (1s) and move to higher energy levels (2s, 2p, 3s, 3p) according to the Aufbau principle.
2. Each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons with opposite spins, as indicated by the paired arrows (↑↓).
3. The 3p subshell contains three electrons, which are placed in individual orbitals according to Hund’s rule, ensuring that each orbital in the subshell gets one electron before pairing them.
Therefore, the final orbital diagram represents the arrangement of electrons in phosphorus, showing that it has five valence electrons (the 3s and 3p electrons), which are important in determining its chemical behavior.