Orbital diagrams help us see how electrons are arranged in an atom.

They show where the electrons are likely to be found in different areas called orbitals. Each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons. We label the orbitals based on their types: s, p, d, and f.

How Orbital Diagrams Work

1. Types of Orbitals:

   • s orbitals: These are round and hold 2 electrons.
   • p orbitals: These look like dumbbells and have three orientations (px, py, pz). They can hold a total of 6 electrons.
   • d orbitals: These have more complicated shapes and can hold up to 10 electrons in five different orientations.
   • f orbitals: These are even more complicated with seven orientations and can hold 14 electrons.

2. Filling Order:
   Electrons fill the orbitals in a specific order based on energy levels, which is generally called the Aufbau principle. Here’s the order they fill:

   • 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, and so on.

Example of an Orbital Diagram

Let's look at oxygen, which has 8 electrons. Its orbital diagram would look like this:

• 1s: ↑↓
• 2s: ↑↓
• 2p: ↑↓ ↑ ↑

This means that the 1s and 2s orbitals are filled with two paired electrons each. The 2p orbital has two paired electrons and two unpaired electrons.

Using these diagrams makes it simple to see and predict how atoms will react based on their electron arrangement!