Question

activity b: electron arrangements
get the gizmo ready:
create a neutral hydrogen atom (1 proton, 0 neutrons, 1 electron).
question: how are electrons arranged around the nucleus of an atom?

1. observe: add electrons to the atom until you have used all the available electrons. how are the electrons arranged? ______________

Explanation:

Electrons are arranged in energy - levels or shells around the nucleus. For a simple hydrogen atom with 1 electron, it occupies the first energy level (n = 1). As more electrons are added to atoms of other elements, they fill successive energy levels following specific rules like the Aufbau principle (filling lower - energy levels first), Pauli exclusion principle (no two electrons in an atom can have the same set of four quantum numbers), and Hund's rule (electrons fill degenerate orbitals singly first before pairing up).

Answer:

In a hydrogen atom with 1 electron, the electron is in the first energy level (1s orbital). As more electrons are added to atoms of other elements, they fill energy levels and orbitals according to the Aufbau principle, Pauli exclusion principle, and Hund's rule.