The electron configuration of silicon (Si), which has an atomic number of 14, describes the distribution of its electrons in atomic orbitals. In orbital box notation, we represent each orbital as a box and use arrows to indicate the presence of electrons. Silicon has a total of 14 electrons that fill the orbitals according to the Aufbau principle.
Here’s how the electron configuration for silicon looks in orbital box notation:
1s ↑↓ 2s ↑↓ 2p ↑↓ ↑↓ ↑ 3s ↑↓ 3p ↑↓ ↑
Explanation:
1. The first two electrons fill the 1s orbital, which can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, denoted by the two arrows pointing in opposite directions.
2. The next two electrons fill the 2s orbital, similar to the first orbital.
3. The next six electrons fill the 2p orbitals: there are three 2p boxes, and we distribute the electrons with paired arrows in the first two boxes and an unpaired arrow in the third box. This follows Hund’s rule, which states that every orbital in a sublevel is singly occupied before any orbital is doubly occupied.
4. The last two electrons fill the 3s orbital, again with two arrows.
5. Finally, the 3p orbitals receive the remaining four electrons, with paired arrows in the first box and an unpaired arrow in the second box.
This arrangement gives an accurate representation of silicon’s electron configuration in the form of orbital box notation.