Scandium Electron Configuration
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 3
- Unpaired electrons
- 1
- Block
- d-block
- Magnetism (atom)
- paramagnetic
Electrons per shell
| K (n = 1) | 2 |
|---|---|
| L (n = 2) | 8 |
| M (n = 3) | 9 |
| N (n = 4) | 2 |
Scandium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Sc3+ | 18 | [Ne] 3s2 3p6 |
How to write it
Place 21 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. Scandium sits in period 4, group 3, in the d-block, so its last electron enters a d subshell. Replacing the inner electrons with the previous noble gas gives the shorthand [Ar] 3d1 4s2.
Try scandium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full scandium data sheet.
Scandium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of scandium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹ 4s². Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Ar] 3d¹ 4s².
What is the noble gas configuration of scandium?
[Ar] 3d¹ 4s². The bracket stands for the Ar core electrons.
How many valence electrons does scandium have?
3 (2 outer s + 1 d electrons; 2 in the outermost shell).
How many unpaired electrons does scandium have?
1 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. An atom with unpaired electrons is paramagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Sc3+?
[Ne] 3s² 3p⁶ (18 electrons). Transition metal cations lose their outer s electrons before d electrons.