Electron Configuration Of Copper 1. Electronic configuration of copper 2 ions. The m shell contains 3s 3p and 3d and can carry 18 electrons.
Copper has been known to mankind from prehistoric times. According to the rules of filling electron shells copper should have a configuration of 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d9 instead but it does not. Since 1s can only hold two electrons the next 2 electrons for copper go in the 2s orbital.
The actual electron configuration may be rationalized in terms of an added stability associated with a half filled ns 1 np 3 nd 5 nf 7 or filled ns 2 np 6 nd 10 nf 14 subshell.
In writing the electron configuration for copper the first two electrons will go in the 1s orbital. The m shell contains 3s 3p and 3d and can carry 18 electrons. The p orbital can hold up to six electrons. Since 1s can only hold two electrons the next 2 electrons for copper go in the 2s orbital.