Gold Electron Configuration
★ Exception to the Aufbau order. Predicted 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d9 6s2; measured 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s1.
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 11
- Unpaired electrons
- 1
- Block
- d-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) | 1 |
Gold ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Au+ | 78 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 |
| Au3+ | 76 | [Xe] 4f14 5d8 |
How to write it
Place 79 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. Gold sits in period 6, group 11, in the d-block, so its last electron enters a d subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1.
Try gold and its ions in the calculator, or see the full gold data sheet.
Gold electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of gold?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹. Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹.
What is the noble gas configuration of gold?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹. The bracket stands for the Xe core electrons.
Why is gold’s electron configuration an exception?
The simple filling (Aufbau) order predicts 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d⁹ 6s², but the measured ground state is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹. Shifting an electron gives a half-filled or filled subshell, which has extra exchange stability.
How many valence electrons does gold have?
11 (1 outer s + 10 d electrons; 1 in the outermost shell).
How many unpaired electrons does gold have?
1 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. An atom with unpaired electrons is paramagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Au+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ (78 electrons). Transition metal cations lose their outer s electrons before d electrons.
What is the electron configuration of Au3+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁸ (76 electrons). Transition metal cations lose their outer s electrons before d electrons.