The Vanadium metal is on the periodic table. This article discusses the vanadium’s electronic configuration. Vanadium has a ‘V’d atomic symbol. It’s a block with an atomic mass of 50.9415 u and an atomic no. of 23; therefore, the number of electrons in the orbital is also 23. They are placed in atomic orbitals using various energies to achieve the electronic configuration.
In this guide, let’s discuss – Vanadium Electron configuration, Valence electrons, and an Orbital diagram.
Orbital diagram
An orbital diagram visually represents how electrons are arranged in atomic orbitals; it depicts the electrons as arrows and reveals the electrons’ spin.
Electron configuration
It is the arrangement of the electrons in atomic orbitals. Like an orbital diagram, it just displays the number of electrons, not the specifics of their spin.
Valence electrons
It is an atom’s outermost electron in the outer shell enclosing the atomic nucleus, known as a valence electron. They can take part in the synthesis of chemical bonds.
Vanadium’s electron configuration
As mentioned earlier, the number of electrons in V is 23, arranged per certain specific rules in various orbitals. The V’s electron configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d3 4s2 when the electron arrangement is via orbitals. You can do electron configuration in two ways.
- Electron configuration via orbit (Bohr principle)
- Electron configuration via orbital (Aufbau principle)
When configured via orbitals, it follows various tenets—for instance Aufbau principle, Pauli’s exclusion principle, and Hund’s principle.
Vanadium atom electron configuration through orbit
The idea of the atom’s orbit was first given by an expert known as Niels Bohr. He offered the atom’s model in 1913. The scientist outlined the entire concept of the orbit in the model. The atom’s electrons revolve around the nucleus in a particular circular path.
You should refer to the circular paths as orbits (shells). You express the orbits using the letter n. For instance [n = 1,2,3,4 . . . The orbit’s serial number]
K is the first orbit name, L is the second, the third is M, and the fourth is N. Keep in mind that the electron holding capacity of every orbit is 2n2.
How do you get the V valence electrons?
You now know that the V electron configuration is 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d3, and the electrons of valence are the electrons placed in the exterior atom-shell.
Note:
You define an electron valence for a transition metal as an electron that resides outside the noble gas core.
Or
For the transition metals, the valence electron number is the same as the electron number after configuring the noble gas.
So, through this concept, you can simply attain the vanadium atoms’ valence electrons.
- You write the Vanadium’s noble gas configuration as [Ar] 4s23d3.
- Therefore, the number of electrons that occurs after configuring the noble gas configuration is (4s23d3) = 2 + 3 = 5
- So, the number of Vanadium’s valence electrons is 5.
Take away
In conclusion, Vanadium is an atomic element using V as its symbol, and its atomic number is 23. It’s a complex, malleable, silvery-grey transition metal.
Naturally, it’s rare to find this elemental metal; however, once you isolate it artificially, the oxide layer formation stabilizes the free metal from further oxidation.
