Hafnium Electron Configuration
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 4
- Unpaired electrons
- 2
- 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) | 10 |
| P (n = 6) | 2 |
Hafnium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Hf4+ | 68 | [Xe] 4f14 |
How to write it
Place 72 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. Hafnium sits in period 6, group 4, 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 5d2 6s2.
Try hafnium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full hafnium data sheet.
Hafnium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of hafnium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d² 6s². Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d² 6s².
What is the noble gas configuration of hafnium?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d² 6s². The bracket stands for the Xe core electrons.
How many valence electrons does hafnium have?
4 (2 outer s + 2 d electrons; 2 in the outermost shell).
How many unpaired electrons does hafnium have?
2 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. An atom with unpaired electrons is paramagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Hf4+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ (68 electrons). Transition metal cations lose their outer s electrons before d electrons.