Explain the electronic configuration in periods in the periodic table. „
Each successive period in the periodic table is associated with the filling Up of the next higher principal energy level (n – 1, n – 2, etc.). It can be readily seen that the number of elements in each period is twice the number of atomic orbitals available in the energy level that is being filled. The first period starts with the filling of the lowest level (1s) and has thus the two elements – hydrogen (1s1) and helium (1s2) when the first shell (K) is completed. The second period starts with lithium and the third electron enters the 2s orbital. The next element, beryllium has four electrons and has the electronic configuration 1s2 2s2. Starting from the next element boron, the 2p orbitals are filled with electrons when the L shell is completed’ at neon (2s2 2p6). Thus there are 8 elements in the second period. The third period (n = 3) being at sodium, and the added electron enters a 3s orbital. Successive filling of 3s and 3p orbitals give rise to the third period of 8 elements from sodium to argon. The fourth period (n = 4) starts at potassium with the filling up of 4p of 4s orbital. Before the 4p orbital is filled, the filling up of 3d orbitals becomes energetically favorable and we come across the so-called 3d transition series of elements. The fourth period ends at krypton with the filling up of the 4p orbitals. Altogether we have 18 elements in the fourth period. The fifth period (n = 5) beginning with rubidium is similar to the fourth period and contains the 4d transition series starting at yttrium (Z = 39). This period ends at xenon with the filling up of the 5p orbitals. The sixth period (n = 6) contains 32 elements and successive electrons enter 6s, 4/, 5d, and 6p orbitals, in that order. Filling up of the 4/ orbitals being with cerium, (Z = 58) and ends at lutetium (Z = 71) to give the 4/-inner transition series which is called the lanthanide series. The seventh period (n = 7) is similar to the sixth period with the successive filling up of the 7s, 5f, 6d, and 7p orbitals and includes most of the man-made radioactive elements. This period will end at the element with atomic number 118 which would belong to the noble gas family. Filling up of the 5f orbitals after actinium (Z = 89) gives the 5f-inner transition series known as the actinide series. The 4f and 5f transition series of elements are placed separately in the periodic table to maintain its structure and to preserve the principle of classification by keeping elements with similar properties in a single column.
