1. Determine Oxygen's Atomic Number:
* Oxygen has an atomic number of 8, meaning it has 8 protons and 8 electrons.
2. Fill the Energy Levels:
* First Energy Level (n=1): Holds a maximum of 2 electrons.
* We represent this with the symbol "1s²", meaning 2 electrons in the 's' subshell of the first energy level.
* Second Energy Level (n=2): Holds a maximum of 8 electrons, split into two subshells:
* 's' subshell: Holds a maximum of 2 electrons. We represent this with "2s²".
* 'p' subshell: Holds a maximum of 6 electrons. We represent this with "2p⁴".
3. Complete Electron Configuration:
* The full electron configuration for oxygen is: 1s² 2s² 2p⁴
Visual Representation:
You can also represent this visually using orbital diagrams:
* 1s orbital: Draw a circle and put two arrows pointing in opposite directions (↑↓) to represent the two electrons with opposite spins.
* 2s orbital: Draw another circle with two arrows pointing in opposite directions (↑↓).
* 2p orbitals: Draw three circles (px, py, pz) representing the three p orbitals. Each orbital can hold up to 2 electrons. Since oxygen has 4 electrons in the p subshell, place two arrows (↑↓) in one p orbital and one arrow (↑) in each of the other two orbitals.
Important Note: Remember that the electrons in the p orbitals will fill individually before doubling up in any one orbital (Hund's Rule).
Let me know if you'd like a visual representation of this using orbital diagrams!
