Barium Electron Configuration
Barium (Ba) · 56 electrons · Alkaline earth metal
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 6s2
Noble gas notation: [Xe] 6s2
Orbital diagram
↑↓
1s↑↓
2s↑↓↑↓↑↓
2p↑↓
3s↑↓↑↓↑↓
3p↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓
3d↑↓
4s↑↓↑↓↑↓
4p↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓
4d↑↓
5s↑↓↑↓↑↓
5p↑↓
6s- Valence electrons
- 2
- Unpaired electrons
- 0
- Block
- s-block
- Magnetism (atom)
- diamagnetic
Electrons per shell
| K (n = 1) | 2 |
|---|---|
| L (n = 2) | 8 |
| M (n = 3) | 18 |
| N (n = 4) | 18 |
| O (n = 5) | 8 |
| P (n = 6) | 2 |
Barium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Ba2+ | 54 | [Kr] 4d10 5s2 5p6 |
How to write it
Place 56 electrons into subshells in the Aufbau order (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p), filling s with 2, p with 6, d with 10 and f with 14. Barium sits in period 6, group 2, in the s-block, so its last electron enters an s subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Xe] 6s2.
Try barium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full barium data sheet.
Barium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of barium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 6s². Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Xe] 6s².
What is the noble gas configuration of barium?
[Xe] 6s². The bracket stands for the Xe core electrons.
How many valence electrons does barium have?
2 (outer shell (n = 6)).
How many unpaired electrons does barium have?
0 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. With all electrons paired, the atom is diamagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Ba2+?
[Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ (54 electrons).