Californium Electron Configuration
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 2
- Unpaired electrons
- 4
- Block
- f-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) | 28 |
| P (n = 6) | 8 |
| Q (n = 7) | 2 |
Californium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Cf3+ | 95 | [Rn] 5f10 |
How to write it
Place 98 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. Californium sits in period 7, in the f-block, so its last electron enters a f subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Rn] 5f10 7s2.
Try californium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full californium data sheet.
Californium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of californium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶ 5f¹⁰ 7s². Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Rn] 5f¹⁰ 7s².
What is the noble gas configuration of californium?
[Rn] 5f¹⁰ 7s². The bracket stands for the Rn core electrons.
How many valence electrons does californium have?
2 (2 in the outer s subshell).
How many unpaired electrons does californium have?
4 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. An atom with unpaired electrons is paramagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Cf3+?
[Rn] 5f¹⁰ (95 electrons).