7 Steps On Lithium Electron Configuration:How to Write!

Lithium is an alkali metal with atomic number 3 and belongs to Group 1 under the s-block of the periodic table. Let us understand the electronic configurations of lithium.

The electron configuration of Lithium (Li) is 1s² 2s¹. Li is a silvery white metal. Its atomic weight is 6.941 u. Li readily oxidizes to lithium oxide on exposure to air. It is the lightest among metals and has a high specific heat capacity. Lithium is primarily used in making lithium-ion batteries.

This article aims at explaining the electron configuration of lithium and the orbital diagram of ground-state lithium.

How to write Lithium Electron Configuration

The Li atom consists of 3 electrons. Following Aufbau’s principle, electrons will be filled in order of their increasing energies. After that according to Hund’s rule, the pairing of electrons takes place in opposite directions as per the Pauli exclusion principle.

Lithium Electron Configuration Diagram

The lithium atom contains 13 electrons. The electronic configuration of the lithium is expressed in the form of the diagram as given below –

• 1s orbital having minimum energy is filled first, with a maximum capacity of two electrons.
• After the 1s orbital, the 2s orbital is filled with one electron only.

So, the diagram will be-

Lithium Electron Configuration Notation

The electronic configuration notation of lithium is [He] 2s¹.

Lithium Unabbreviated Electron Configuration

The lithium unabbreviated electron configuration is 1s² 2s¹ . Li consists of a total of 3 electrons which are filled as follows –

• Two electrons are present in 1s orbital.
• One electron is in a 2s orbital.

Ground State Lithium Electron Configuration

The ground state electron configuration of lithium is 1s² 2s¹.

Excited State of Lithium Electron Configuration

The excited state electron configuration of lithium is 1s² 2p¹. In the excited state, the electron in the 2s orbital of Li jumps to a vacant 2p orbital of higher energy.

Ground State Lithium Orbital Diagram

The ground state orbital diagram of lithium shows the filling up of electrons in the shells around the lithium nucleus. The orbital diagram of lithium is –

Lithium Oxide Electron Configuration

The lithium oxide (Li₂O) electron configuration is as follows-

• The electronic configuration of Li¹⁺ is 1s².
• The electronic configuration of O^2- is 1s²2s²2p⁶.

Li with one valence electron readily loses it to form a stable Li⁺ ion. Oxygen with 6 valence electrons readily gains 2 electrons to form a stable O^2- ion.

Conclusion

Lithium shares a diagonal relationship with the alkaline earth metal Magnesium. It has a bcc crystal structure. Among neutral Li and Li-ion, the latter is more stable due to fully filled outermost shell.

Also Read:

• Ytterbium electron configuration
• Selenium electron configuration
• Rhenium electron configuration
• Barium electron configuration
• Nitrogen electron configuration
• Cerium electron configuration
• Berkelium electron configuration
• Palladium electron configuration
• Copper electron configuration
• Phosphorus electron configuration