Silver Electron Configuration
★ Exception to the Aufbau order. Predicted 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d9 5s2; measured 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s1.
Orbital diagram
- Valence electrons
- 11
- Unpaired electrons
- 1
- Block
- d-block
- Magnetism (atom)
- paramagnetic
Electrons per shell
| K (n = 1) | 2 |
|---|---|
| L (n = 2) | 8 |
| M (n = 3) | 18 |
| N (n = 4) | 18 |
| O (n = 5) | 1 |
Silver ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Ag+ | 46 | [Kr] 4d10 |
How to write it
Place 47 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. Silver sits in period 5, group 11, 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 5s1.
Try silver and its ions in the calculator, or see the full silver data sheet.
Silver electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of silver?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s¹. Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s¹.
What is the noble gas configuration of silver?
[Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s¹. The bracket stands for the Kr core electrons.
Why is silver’s electron configuration an exception?
The simple filling (Aufbau) order predicts 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d⁹ 5s², but the measured ground state is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s¹. Shifting an electron gives a half-filled or filled subshell, which has extra exchange stability.
How many valence electrons does silver have?
11 (1 outer s + 10 d electrons; 1 in the outermost shell).
How many unpaired electrons does silver have?
1 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. An atom with unpaired electrons is paramagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Ag+?
[Kr] 4d¹⁰ (46 electrons). Transition metal cations lose their outer s electrons before d electrons.