The orbital notation for magnesium, which has the atomic number 12, is:
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s²
Here’s a breakdown of this notation:
- 1s²: The first energy level (n=1) has one subshell (s) that can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, and in magnesium, it is full with 2 electrons.
- 2s²: The second energy level also has an s subshell that is full with 2 electrons.
- 2p⁶: The second energy level’s p subshell can hold up to 6 electrons, and it is also full in magnesium with 6 electrons.
- 3s²: Finally, the highest energy level (n=3) contains the s subshell, which has 2 electrons, completing the electron configuration for magnesium.
This notation helps visualize how electrons are distributed in the atomic orbitals of magnesium, indicating that it has a stable electron arrangement similar to that of noble gases when it loses the two outermost electrons.