Bismuth Electron Configuration
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 5
- Unpaired electrons
- 3
- Block
- p-block
- Magnetism (atom)
- paramagnetic
Electrons per shell
| K (n = 1) | 2 |
|---|---|
| L (n = 2) | 8 |
| M (n = 3) | 18 |
| N (n = 4) | 32 |
| O (n = 5) | 18 |
| P (n = 6) | 5 |
Bismuth ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Bi3+ | 80 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 |
How to write it
Place 83 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. Bismuth sits in period 6, group 15, in the p-block, so its last electron enters a p subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3.
Try bismuth and its ions in the calculator, or see the full bismuth data sheet.
Bismuth electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of bismuth?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³. Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³.
What is the noble gas configuration of bismuth?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³. The bracket stands for the Xe core electrons.
How many valence electrons does bismuth have?
5 (outer shell (n = 6)).
How many unpaired electrons does bismuth have?
3 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. An atom with unpaired electrons is paramagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Bi3+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² (80 electrons).