Palladium Electron Configuration
★ Exception to the Aufbau order. Predicted 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d8 5s2; measured 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10.
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) | 18 |
Palladium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Pd2+ | 44 | [Kr] 4d8 |
How to write it
Place 46 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. Palladium sits in period 5, group 10, in the d-block, so its last electron enters a d subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Kr] 4d10.
Try palladium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full palladium data sheet.
Palladium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of palladium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰. Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Kr] 4d¹⁰.
What is the noble gas configuration of palladium?
[Kr] 4d¹⁰. The bracket stands for the Kr core electrons.
Why is palladium’s electron configuration an exception?
The simple filling (Aufbau) order predicts 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d⁸ 5s², but the measured ground state is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰. Shifting an electron gives a half-filled or filled subshell, which has extra exchange stability.
How many valence electrons does palladium have?
12 (2 outer s + 10 d electrons; 18 in the outermost shell).
How many unpaired electrons does palladium have?
0 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. With all electrons paired, the atom is diamagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Pd2+?
[Kr] 4d⁸ (44 electrons). Transition metal cations lose their outer s electrons before d electrons.