Radium Electron Configuration
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 2
- Unpaired electrons
- 0
- Block
- s-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) | 8 |
| Q (n = 7) | 2 |
Radium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Ra2+ | 86 | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p6 |
How to write it
Place 88 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. Radium sits in period 7, group 2, in the s-block, so its last electron enters an s subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Rn] 7s2.
Try radium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full radium data sheet.
Radium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of radium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶ 7s². Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Rn] 7s².
What is the noble gas configuration of radium?
[Rn] 7s². The bracket stands for the Rn core electrons.
How many valence electrons does radium have?
2 (outer shell (n = 7)).
How many unpaired electrons does radium have?
0 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. With all electrons paired, the atom is diamagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Ra2+?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶ (86 electrons).