Subshells edit

Subshell label Max electrons Shells containing it Historical name
s 0 2 Every shell  sharp
p 1 6 2nd shell and higher  principal
d 2 10 3rd shell and higher  diffuse
f 3 14 4th shell and higher  fundamental
g 4 18 5th shell and higher (theoretically) (next in alphabet after f)
h 5 22 6th shell and higher (theoretically) (next in alphabet after g)
i 6 26 7th shell and higher (theoretically) (next in alphabet after h)
j 7 32 8th shell and higher (theoretically) (next in alphabet after i)

Number of electrons in each shell edit

 
Shells and subshells. The number of filled cells is the number of electrons at the level. Red color indicates sublevel s; orange - p; yellow - d; green - f; blue - g; indigo - h; violet - i
Shell
name
Level Subshell
name
Subshell
max
electrons
Shell
max
electrons
K 0 1s 2 2
L 1 2s 2 2 + 6 = 8
2p 6
M 2 3s 2 2 + 6 + 10
= 18
3p 6
3d 10
N 3 4s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14
= 32
4p 6
4d 10
4f 14
O 4 5s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 = 50
5p 6
5d 10
5f 14
5g 18
P 5 6s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 + 22 = 72
6p 6
6d 10
6f 14
6g 18
6h 22
Q 6 7s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 + 22 +
26 = 98
7p 6
7d 10
7f 14
7g 18
7h 22
7i 26
R 7 8s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 + 22 +
26 + 30 = 128
8p 6
8d 10
8f 14
8g 18
8h 22
8i 26
8j 30
S 8 9s 2 2 + 6 +
10 + 14 +
18 + 22 +
26 + 30 +
34 = 162
9p 6
9d 10
9f 14
9g 18
9h 22
9i 26
9j 30
9k 34

Each subshell is constrained to hold 4 + 2 electrons at most, namely:

  • Each s subshell holds at most 2 electrons
  • Each p subshell holds at most 6 electrons
  • Each d subshell holds at most 10 electrons
  • Each f subshell holds at most 14 electrons
  • Each g subshell holds at most 18 electrons
  • Each h subshell holds at most 22 electrons
  • Each i subshell holds at most 26 electrons
  • Each j subshell holds at most 30 electrons
  • Each k subshell holds at most 34 electrons

List of elements with electrons per shell edit

Z Element No. of electrons/shell Group
1 Hydrogen 1 1
2 Helium 2 18
3 Lithium 2, 1 1
4 Beryllium 2, 2 2
5 Boron 2, 3 13
6 Carbon 2, 4 14
7 Nitrogen 2, 5 15
8 Oxygen 2, 6 16
9 Fluorine 2, 7 17
10 Neon 2, 8 18
11 Sodium 2, 8, 1 1
12 Magnesium 2, 8, 2 2
13 Aluminium 2, 8, 3 13
14 Silicon 2, 8, 4 14
15 Phosphorus 2, 8, 5 15
16 Sulfur 2, 8, 6 16
17 Chlorine 2, 8, 7 17
18 Argon 2, 8, 8 18
19 Potassium 2, 8, 8, 1 1
20 Calcium 2, 8, 8, 2 2
21 Scandium 2, 8, 9, 2 3
22 Titanium 2, 8, 10, 2 4
23 Vanadium 2, 8, 11, 2 5
24 Chromium 2, 8, 13, 1 6
25 Manganese 2, 8, 13, 2 7
26 Iron 2, 8, 14, 2 8
27 Cobalt 2, 8, 15, 2 9
28 Nickel 2, 8, 16, 2 10
29 Copper 2, 8, 18, 1 11
30 Zinc 2, 8, 18, 2 12
31 Gallium 2, 8, 18, 3 13
32 Germanium 2, 8, 18, 4 14
33 Arsenic 2, 8, 18, 5 15
34 Selenium 2, 8, 18, 6 16
35 Bromine 2, 8, 18, 7 17
36 Krypton 2, 8, 18, 8 18
37 Rubidium 2, 8, 18, 8, 1 1
38 Strontium 2, 8, 18, 8, 2 2
39 Yttrium 2, 8, 18, 9, 2 3
40 Zirconium 2, 8, 18, 10, 2 4
41 Niobium 2, 8, 18, 12, 1 5
42 Molybdenum 2, 8, 18, 13, 1 6
43 Technetium 2, 8, 18, 13, 2 7
44 Ruthenium 2, 8, 18, 15, 1 8
45 Rhodium 2, 8, 18, 16, 1 9
46 Palladium 2, 8, 18, 18 10
47 Silver 2, 8, 18, 18, 1 11
48 Cadmium 2, 8, 18, 18, 2 12
49 Indium 2, 8, 18, 18, 3 13
50 Tin 2, 8, 18, 18, 4 14
51 Antimony 2, 8, 18, 18, 5 15
52 Tellurium 2, 8, 18, 18, 6 16
53 Iodine 2, 8, 18, 18, 7 17
54 Xenon 2, 8, 18, 18, 8 18
55 Caesium 2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 1 1
56 Barium 2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 2 2
57 Lanthanum 2, 8, 18, 18, 9, 2 3
58 Cerium 2, 8, 18, 19, 9, 2
59 Praseodymium 2, 8, 18, 21, 8, 2
60 Neodymium 2, 8, 18, 22, 8, 2
61 Promethium 2, 8, 18, 23, 8, 2
62 Samarium 2, 8, 18, 24, 8, 2
63 Europium 2, 8, 18, 25, 8, 2
64 Gadolinium 2, 8, 18, 25, 9, 2
65 Terbium 2, 8, 18, 27, 8, 2
66 Dysprosium 2, 8, 18, 28, 8, 2
67 Holmium 2, 8, 18, 29, 8, 2
68 Erbium 2, 8, 18, 30, 8, 2
69 Thulium 2, 8, 18, 31, 8, 2
70 Ytterbium 2, 8, 18, 32, 8, 2
71 Lutetium 2, 8, 18, 32, 9, 2
72 Hafnium 2, 8, 18, 32, 10, 2 4
73 Tantalum 2, 8, 18, 32, 11, 2 5
74 Tungsten 2, 8, 18, 32, 12, 2 6
75 Rhenium 2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2 7
76 Osmium 2, 8, 18, 32, 14, 2 8
77 Iridium 2, 8, 18, 32, 15, 2 9
78 Platinum 2, 8, 18, 32, 17, 1 10
79 Gold 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 1 11
80 Mercury 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2 12
81 Thallium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 3 13
82 Lead 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 4 14
83 Bismuth 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 5 15
84 Polonium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 6 16
85 Astatine 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 7 17
86 Radon 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8 18
87 Francium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 1 1
88 Radium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 2 2
89 Actinium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 9, 2 3
90 Thorium 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 10, 2
91 Protactinium 2, 8, 18, 32, 20, 9, 2
92 Uranium 2, 8, 18, 32, 21, 9, 2
93 Neptunium 2, 8, 18, 32, 22, 9, 2
94 Plutonium 2, 8, 18, 32, 24, 8, 2
95 Americium 2, 8, 18, 32, 25, 8, 2
96 Curium 2, 8, 18, 32, 25, 9, 2
97 Berkelium 2, 8, 18, 32, 27, 8, 2
98 Californium 2, 8, 18, 32, 28, 8, 2
99 Einsteinium 2, 8, 18, 32, 29, 8, 2
100 Fermium 2, 8, 18, 32, 30, 8, 2
101 Mendelevium 2, 8, 18, 32, 31, 8, 2
102 Nobelium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 8, 2
103 Lawrencium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 8, 3
104 Rutherfordium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 10, 2 4
105 Dubnium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 11, 2 5
106 Seaborgium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 12, 2 6
107 Bohrium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 13, 2 7
108 Hassium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 14, 2 8
109 Meitnerium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 15, 2 (?) 9
110 Darmstadtium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 16, 2 (?) 10
111 Roentgenium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 17, 2 (?) 11
112 Copernicium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 2 (?) 12
113 Nihonium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 3 (?) 13
114 Flerovium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 4 (?) 14
115 Moscovium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 5 (?) 15
116 Livermorium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 6 (?) 16
117 Tennessine 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 7 (?) 17
118 Oganesson 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 8 (?) 18
119 Ununennium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 8, 1 1
120 Unbinilium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 8, 2 2
121 Unbiunium 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 8, 3 3
122 Unbibium
123 Unbitrium
124 Unbiquadium
125 Unbipentium
126 Unbihexium
127 Unbiseptium
128 Unbioctium
129 Unbiennium
130 Untrinilium
131 Untriunium
132 Untribium
133 Untritrium
134 Untriquadium
135 Untripentium
136 Untrihexium 4
137 Untriseptium 5
138 Untrioctium 6
139 Untriennium 7
140 Unquadnilium 8
141 Unquadunium 9
142 Unquadbium 10
143 Unquadtrium 11
144 Unquadquadium 12
145 Unquadpentium 13
146 Unquadhexium 14
147 Unquadseptium 15
148 Unquadoctium 16
149 Unquadennium 17
150 Unpentnilium 18
151 Unpentunium 1
152 Unpentbium 2
153 Unpenttrium 3
154 Unpentquadium
155 Unpentpentium
156 Unpenthexium
157 Unpentseptium
158 Unpentoctium
159 Unpentennium
160 Unhexnilium
161 Unhexunium
162 Unhexbium
163 Unhextrium
164 Unhexquadium
165 Unhexpentium
166 Unhexhexium
167 Unhexseptium
168 Unhexoctium 4
169 Unhexennium 5
170 Unseptnilium 6
171 Unseptunium 7
172 Unseptbium 8
173 Unsepttrium 9