Terbium Electron Configuration
Terbium (Tb) · 65 electrons · Lanthanide
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f9 6s2
Noble gas notation: [Xe] 4f9 6s2
Orbital diagram
↑↓
1s↑↓
2s↑↓↑↓↑↓
2p↑↓
3s↑↓↑↓↑↓
3p↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓
3d↑↓
4s↑↓↑↓↑↓
4p↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓
4d↑↓↑↓↑↑↑↑↑
4f↑↓
5s↑↓↑↓↑↓
5p↑↓
6s- Valence electrons
- 2
- Unpaired electrons
- 5
- Block
- f-block
- Magnetism (atom)
- paramagnetic
Electrons per shell
| K (n = 1) | 2 |
|---|---|
| L (n = 2) | 8 |
| M (n = 3) | 18 |
| N (n = 4) | 27 |
| O (n = 5) | 8 |
| P (n = 6) | 2 |
Terbium ion configurations
| Ion | Electrons | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Tb3+ | 62 | [Xe] 4f9 |
How to write it
Place 65 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. Terbium 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] 4f9 6s2.
Try terbium and its ions in the calculator, or see the full terbium data sheet.
Terbium electron configuration FAQ
What is the electron configuration of terbium?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f⁹ 6s². Shorthand (noble gas) notation: [Xe] 4f⁹ 6s².
What is the noble gas configuration of terbium?
[Xe] 4f⁹ 6s². The bracket stands for the Xe core electrons.
How many valence electrons does terbium have?
2 (2 in the outer s subshell).
How many unpaired electrons does terbium have?
5 in the ground state, following Hund’s rule. An atom with unpaired electrons is paramagnetic.
What is the electron configuration of Tb3+?
[Xe] 4f⁹ (62 electrons).