Samarium Electron Configuration
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 2
- Unpaired electrons
- 6
- Block
- f-block
- Magnetism (atom)
- paramagnetic
Electrons per shell
| K (n = 1) | 2 |
|---|---|
| L (n = 2) | 8 |
| M (n = 3) | 18 |
| N (n = 4) | 24 |
| O (n = 5) | 8 |
| P (n = 6) | 2 |
Samarium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Sm3+ | 59 | [Xe] 4f6 |
| Sm2+ | 60 | [Xe] 4f6 |
How to write it
Place 62 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. Samarium sits in period 6, in the f-block, so its last electron enters a f subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Xe] 4f6 6s2.
Try samarium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full samarium data sheet.
Samarium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of samarium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f⁶ 6s². Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Xe] 4f⁶ 6s².
What is the noble gas configuration of samarium?
[Xe] 4f⁶ 6s². The bracket stands for the Xe core electrons.
How many valence electrons does samarium have?
2 (2 in the outer s subshell).
How many unpaired electrons does samarium have?
6 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. An atom with unpaired electrons is paramagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Sm3+?
[Xe] 4f⁶ (59 electrons).
What is the electron configuration of Sm2+?
[Xe] 4f⁶ (60 electrons).