Mercury Electron Configuration
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 12
- Unpaired electrons
- 0
- Block
- d-block
- Magnetism (atom)
- diamagnetic
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) | 2 |
Mercury ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Hg+ | 79 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1 |
| Hg2+ | 78 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 |
How to write it
Place 80 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. Mercury sits in period 6, group 12, 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 6s2.
Try mercury and its ions in the calculator, or see the full mercury data sheet.
Mercury electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of mercury?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s². Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s².
What is the noble gas configuration of mercury?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s². The bracket stands for the Xe core electrons.
How many valence electrons does mercury have?
12 (2 outer s + 10 d electrons; 2 in the outermost shell).
How many unpaired electrons does mercury have?
0 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. With all electrons paired, the atom is diamagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Hg+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹ (79 electrons). Transition metal cations lose their outer s electrons before d electrons.
What is the electron configuration of Hg2+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ (78 electrons). Transition metal cations lose their outer s electrons before d electrons.