Senior High School

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General Chemistry 1
Quarter 2 - Module 1
Quantum Mechanical Description and
the Electronic Structure of Atoms

Republic of the Philippines

General Chemistry I- Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Code
Quarter 2 - Module 1: Quantum Mechanical Description and the
Electronic Structure of Atoms
First Edition, 2020

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 Senior
Senior High
High School
School

General
Chemistry 1
Quarter 2 - Module 1
Quantum Mechanical Description and the
Electronic Structure of Atoms

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 Table of Contents

What This Module is About ....................................................................................................................... i

What I Need to Know.................................................................................................................................. i
How to Learn from this Module ...............................................................................................................ii
Icons of this Module ....................................................................................................................................ii

What I Know ..................................................................................................................................................iii

Lesson 1:
Quantum Numbers ........................................................................................................ 1
What I Need to Know ................................................................................ 1
What’s New............................................................................................... 1
What Is It .................................................................................................. 2
What’s More A: …. .................................................................................... 3
What’s More B:.......................................................................................... 4

What I Have Learned: ............................................................................... 4

What I Can Do: …. .................................................................................... 5

Lesson 2:
Electron Configuration and the Magnetic Property of Atoms 6
What’s In ................................................................................................... 6
What’s New............................................................................................... 6

What Is It .................................................................................................. 7
What’s More A …. ..................................................................................... 9
What’s More B:.......................................................................................... 9
What I Have Learned ................................................................................ 10
What’s I Can Do ........................................................................................ 10

Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Assessment: (Post-Test) ............................................................................................................. 12
Key to Answers ............................................................................................................................. 13
References .................................................................................................................................... 16
Module 1

What This Module is About

Early efforts by nineteenth-century physicists to comprehend atoms and

molecules met with only limited success. With the unwavering pursuit of scientists to
come up with different experiments and theories, the flurry of research that ensued
altered our concept of nature forever.

This module comprises activities that will help deepen your understanding on
the properties and characteristics of atoms and how they affect the chemistry present
in our daily lives.

The following are the lessons contained in this module:

Quantum Numbers
Electron configuration and the Magnetic Property of Atoms

What I Need to Know

At the end of this module, you should be able to:

1. Use quantum numbers to describe an electron in an atom
(STEM_GC11ESIIa-b-54);
2. Determine the magnetic property of the atom based on its electronic
configuration (STEM_GC11ESIIa-b-57);
3. Draw an orbital diagram to represent the electronic configuration of atoms
(STEM_GC11ESIIa-b-58)
How to Learn from this Module
To achieve the objectives cited above, you are to do the following:
• Take your time reading the lessons carefully.
• Follow the directions and/or instructions in the activities and exercises
diligently.
• Answer all the given tests and exercises.

Icons of this Module

What I Need to This part contains learning objectives that
Know are set for you to learn as you go along the
module.

What I know This is an assessment as to your level of

knowledge to the subject matter at hand,
meant specifically to gauge prior related
knowledge.
What’s In This part connects previous lesson with that
of the current one.

What’s New An introduction of the new lesson through

various activities, before it will be presented
to you

What is It These are discussions of the activities as a

way to deepen your discovery and under-
standing of the concept.

What’s More These are follow-up activities that are in-

tended for you to practice further in order to
master the competencies.

What I Have Activities designed to process what you

Learned have learned from the lesson

What I can do These are tasks that are designed to show-

case your skills and knowledge gained, and
applied into real-life concerns and situations.

ii
 What I Know

Pretest: MULTIPLE CHOICE:

Directions: Read and understand each item and choose the letter of the correct
answer. Use separate answer sheet of paper.

1. It prescribes the three-dimensional orientation of the orbital in space around the

nucleus.
A. geometry C. magnetic quantum number
B. electron configuration D. principal quantum number
2. It indicates the relative size of the orbital.
A. geometry C. magnetic quantum number
B. electron configuration D. principal quantum number
3. How many orbitals in an atom can have the 4d designation?
A. 9 C. 1
B. 5 D. 7
4. Which of the following combinations is allowed?
A. n=2, =1, ml= -1, ms= +1/2 C. -3, ms= -1/2
B. -1/2 D. None of the above
5. Who said that no two electrons can have the same set of four quantum numbers?

A. Hund C, Einstein
B. Pauli D. Heisenberg
6. It is the arrangement of electrons within the orbitals of an atom to know more
about an atom’s electronic property.
A. geometry C. magnetic quantum number
B. electron configuration D. principal quantum number
7. The building up principle is also called as the _______________.
A. Hammer Principle C. Roblox Principle
B. Uncertainty Principle D. Aufbau principle
8. Which element has an electronic configuration of 1s22s22p5?
A. Carbon C. Fluorine
B. Oxygen D. Hydrogen
9. These are pictorial descriptions of the electrons in an atom.
A. orbital diagrams C. gaussian curve
B. energy diagrams D. cliparts
10. Atoms with unpaired electrons are ___________.
A. Lone pair C. Fake atoms
B. Single atoms D. Paramagnetic

iii
 Quantum Numbers
1
What I Need to Know

According to the Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, it is impossible that both

the energy and position of an electron can be known at the same time. Thus, as we
know more about the electron’s energy, we know less about its position, and vice
versa.

Bohr’s model of the hydrogen atom suggests that the electron orbits the nucleus
like our solar system (e.g. the planets around the sun). However, the quantum
mechanical description of the hydrogen atom has proven that the Bohr’s model of
electrons is incorrect. It states that we don’t know exactly where the electron is, but
with high probability, we can conclude that the electron is most likely to be found in an
orbital. In this lesson, you should be able to describe the electrons (e-) in orbitals using
the four quantum numbers.

Figure 1. Bohr’s Model (Electron in orbit) Figure 2. Quantum Mechanics

(Electron in orbital)

What’s New

Activity 1: True or False

Directions: Write T if the statement is true and F if the statement is false and
answer the following guide question.
The quantum mechanical description of electron is more accurate than
that of Bohr’s model.
No two electrons have the same 4 quantum numbers.
We can both know the energy and the position of electrons at the
same time.
Any two electrons in the same orbital must have the same spins.
The four quantum numbers are used to describe the probable location
of an electron in an atom.
1
 1. In 3-5 sentences, state the difference between Bohr’s model and the quantum
mechanical model of an electron.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

What Is It

All electrons have four quantum numbers which describe the location of
electrons in the electron cloud of an atom and can be used to determine the electron
configuration of an atom. According to the Pauli Exclusion Principle, each electron in
an atom has an exclusive set of quantum numbers and no two electrons can have the
same combination of four quantum numbers.

The Four Quantum Numbers

Table 1. Quantum numbers and their possible values

Quantum Number Symbol Possible Values
Principal Quantum Number n 1,2,3,4… (positive integers)
Angular Momentum Quantum Number 0,1,2,3… (0 to n-1)
Magnetic Quantum Number ml - ,…-1,0,1…,+
Spin Quantum Number ms +1/2, -1/2

1. Principal Quantum Number

The principal quantum number, n, describes the energy of an electron.
It refers to the energy level and the size of the orbital an electron is likely to be
found. The value of n starts from 1 to the shell containing the outermost electron
of that atom. The larger the value of n, the greater is the energy and the larger
is the orbital. The group of orbitals with the same value of n is called an electron
shell. All the orbitals that have n = 2, for example, are said to be in the second
shell.
Carbon is in the second period of the periodic table, so, its outermost
electron is in the shell with an energy level 2. Therefore, an electron in Carbon
can have an n value from 1 to 2.

2. Angular/Azimuthal Quantum Number

In chemistry, the angular quantum number, , defines the shape of an
atomic orbital. It also strongly influences bond angles and chemical bonds. It is
defined in chemistry that if , it is called an s orbital, is a
. The first p orbital ( ) is in the second electron
is in the third shell (n = 3), and so on. The
set of orbitals that have the same n and l values is called a subshell.

3. Magnetic Quantum Number

The magnetic quantum number (ml) describes the orientation of the
orbital in space and can have integral values between - and , including
zero.
2
 For example,

The outermost electron of Carbon is in a 2p subshell. This means that

for that electron, n=2 and . Since , we can conclude that there are
three 2p orbitals in this subshell because there are three values of ml, given
by -1, 0, and 1.

4. Spin Quantum Number

Individual electrons within an orbital has a property represented by the
spin quantum number. Each orbital may hold up to two electrons with opposite
spin directions. Electrons are not really spinning in a physical sense, this is just
a representation of the idea that there are two possible values for the spin
quantum number. When an electron is assigned to spin up, it is represented by
an upward arrow and a value of +1/2. If an electron is spinning down, it is
represented by a downward arrow and a value of -1/2.

Figure 3. Representation of the Spin Quantum Number values

What’s More (A)

Activity 2.1: Let’s test your understanding!

Directions: Answer as directed

1. List the values of n, , and m/ for orbitals in the 4d subshell.

n value/s value/s m/ value/s

2. What is the total number of orbitals associated with the principal quantum
number n=3? Defend your answer.

3. Can an e- be described by the following set of quantum numbers? If not,

indicate which of the quantum numbers has a value that is not valid: n=2, =1,
ml= -1, ms= +1/2
4. Can an e- be described by the following set of quantum numbers? If not,
indicate which of the quantum numbers has a value that is not valid: n=3,
=1, ml=-3, ms= -1/2
3
 5. Can an e- be described by the following set of quantum numbers? If not,
indicate which of the quantum numbers has a value that is not valid: n=1,
=1, ml= +1, ms= -1/2

What’s More (B)

Activity 2.2: Identify the orbital

Directions: For the table below, write which orbital goes with the
quantum numbers. If the quantum numbers are not allowed, write “not allowed.”
n ml Orbital
2 1 -1 2p (example)
1 0 0
3 -3 2
3 2 -2
2 0 -1
0 0 0
4 2 1

What Have I Learned

Activity 3: How much have you learned?

Directions: In your own words, describe the following terms in 2-3 sentences only.

1. Quantum Number
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. Principal Quantum Number
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. Angular Quantum Number
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Magnetic Quantum Number
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

4
 What I Can Do

Activity 4: I am ELECTRON MAN!

Direction: Imagine yourself as an electron. As an electron, you should keep track of
your location and activity for three days. If quantum numbers give information about
the location of an electron or set of electrons, you could describe your location in any
number of ways (e.g. GPS coordinates, qualitatively describing your surroundings,
google map, etc.). Since you are staying inside your home, you should specify the
exact room or place you are in. Fill out the table below with the needed details and
answer the questions that follow. The first row serves as an example.

Electron Name: Special Skill:

Day Time Location Activity
1 9 am Dining Area, Stark’s Mansion, Malibu Point Having breakfast
10880, 90265, Malibu, California USA with family
1 9 am
1 3 pm
1 7 pm
2 9 am
2 3 pm
2 7 pm
3 9 am
3 3 pm
3 7 pm

Follow-up Questions:

1. What is the importance of understanding the role of quantum numbers in

chemistry?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. How are GPS (Global Positioning System) and quantum numbers related to
each other?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3. Why is it important to be aware of your location and surroundings?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

5
 Electron Configuration and
2 the Magnetic Property of
Atoms

What’s In

In lesson 1, we have learned that electrons have four quantum

numbers which describe the location of electrons in an orbital and can be used
to determine the electron configuration of an atom. The electron configuration
will be discussed in-depth in this lesson and the magnetic property of an atom
will be determined based on its electron configuration. Furthermore, the
electron configuration of an atom should also be represented through orbital
diagrams.

What’s New

Activity 1: What is the Mystery Word?

Directions: Answer the following questions and combine the answers to reveal the
mystery word.

1. The symbol of the element in

__ __ __ L P T H __ L E __ N the third period with 5 valence
1 2 3 4 5 electrons and is used in the
manufacture of safety matches.

2. The symbol of the element in the first period with 2 valence electrons and used to
inflate party balloons.
3. The symbols of the two gaseous elements in the second period with valence
electrons equal to 5 and 6, respectively.
4. The first letter of the name of the principle which states that electrons fill atomic
orbitals of the lowest available energy levels first before occupying higher levels in the
atom’s ground state.
5. The symbol of the halogen with a complete electron configuration:1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2
3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p5.

Hint: The “word” is often used as an indicator in acid–base titrations. It turns colorless
in acidic solutions and pink in basic solutions.

6
 What Is It

Electron configuration is the arrangement of electrons within the orbitals of an

atom to know more about an atom’s electronic property. The ground-state electron
configuration is the most stable arrangement of electrons of an atom. All the electrons
in an atom reside in the lowest energy orbitals possible in this arrangement. Since
each orbital can accommodate a maximum of two electrons, using the periodic table,
we can predict the electron configuration of all elements.

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom. They are the highest
energy electrons in an atom and are the most reactive. Valence electrons can be
gained, lost, or shared to form chemical bonds unlike the inner electrons which do not
participate in reactions. The number of valence electrons of each element is equal to
its group number on the Periodic Table. Elements with the same number of valence
electrons tend to have similar chemical properties.

The Aufbau Principle

The electrons in an atom fill up its atomic orbitals according to the Aufbau
Principle; "Aufbau," in German, means "building up." According to this principle,
electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s,
4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…

Figure 1. The order in which atomic subshells are filled in a many-electron atom.

Hund’s Rule

Hund’s rule states that before additional electrons with opposite spins can
occupy the same orbitals, single electrons with the same spin must occupy each
equal-energy orbital first. This is like the seats on a bus – on a bus, you sit alone,
rather than with a stranger, if you have the option.

7
 Pauli Exclusion Principle

No two electrons can have the same combination of four quantum numbers. A
maximum of two electrons may occupy a single orbital, but only if the electrons have
opposite spins.

Table 1. Electron configurations of some lighter elements

It is apparent in table 1 above that the sum of superscripts of the values in the
electron configuration of an element equals to the total number of electrons of the
element. This is one way of checking whether the electron configuration is incorrect or
correct. The superscripts represent the total number of electrons residing in the said
orbital. There is only one s orbital since the value of ml is only equal to zero. There are
three 2p orbitals since the values of ml are equal to -1,0 and +1. It is also being
indicated in the table that orbitals of the same n values have the same energy and that
filling of orbitals should be according to the Aufbau’s principle, Hund’s rule and Pauli’s
exclusion principle. Note that p orbitals have higher energy compared to s orbitals.

Diamagnetism and Paramagnetism

The behaviour of an atom in relation to magnetic fields is influenced by its

electron configuration. This behaviour is also called as the magnetic property of an
atom and is dependent on the number of electrons an atom has that are spin paired.
An atom with electrons that will be very slightly affected by magnetic fields is called
diamagnetic. The orbitals of this atom are all filled and therefore all its electrons are
paired with an electron of opposite spin. Neon is an example of a diamagnetic atom.
Conversely, atoms that do not have all their electrons spin-paired and are affected by
magnetic fields are called paramagnetic. Lithium and sodium are examples of
paramagnetic atoms.

8
 What’s More (A)

Activity 2.1: Electron Configuration and Orbital Diagrams

Directions: Write the complete electron configuration of the following elements and
draw their orbital diagrams. State whether the element is paramagnetic or
diamagnetic. The first one is done for you.

Number
Electron Magnetic
Element of Orbital Diagram
Configuration Property
electrons

Lithium 3 Paramagnetic

Oxygen

Fluorine

Bromine

Silicon

Zinc

What’s More (B)

Activity 2.2: Label it!

Directions: Label each part of the following notation of an outermost electron and
state what each part represents.
b
a 3s2
c

9
 What I Have Learned

Activity 3: Boarding House Analogy

Directions: Imagine you are the landlord of a very strange boarding house. Your job
is to fill the rooms in the building in the most efficient way possible. The rules you
have to follow are as strange as the building because quantum mechanics is
not like anything you might have expected. State what electron rule is being applied
in the situations stated in the left side of the table. Explain each rule.

Boarding House Rules Electron Rules

From the Bottom Up: Rooms must be filled from
the ground floor up. Fill the one room on the first
floor before starting to put new tenants on the
second floor. Then fill the s room before the p
rooms. At higher floors the order might change a
bit.
Singles First: the owner of the building wants to
have the tenants spread out as much as
possible. For that reason singles are placed in
rooms before couples. If couples must be placed
into a room then all of the other rooms on that
floor must already have a single in them.
Opposite Gender Only: When two people are
placed in a room they must be of opposite
genders. No men may room together and no
women may room together. This is an arbitrary
rule on the part of the owners: in a just world we
wouldn’t have to follow it. But quantum
mechanics has nothing to do with justice.

What I Can Do
Activity 4: What are you eating?
Directions: Research about the ingredients of your favorite food. Identify at least two
elements present in the food and research about the properties and uses of each
element. Fill out the table with the needed details and answer the questions that follow.

FOOD NAME:

Electron Orbital Paramagnetic/

Element Properties Uses
Configuration Diagram Diamagnetic?

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

10
Follow-up Questions:

1. Why is it important to be aware of the ingredients of the food you eat?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. Based on your research, is your favorite food good for your health? Why?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3. Why is it important to gain knowledge on the properties and characteristics of

some elements?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

SUMMARY

All electrons have four quantum numbers which describe the location of electrons in
the electron cloud of an atom and can be used to determine the electron configuration
of an atom.
According to the Pauli Exclusion Principle, each electron in an atom has an exclusive
set of quantum numbers and no two electrons can have the same combination of four
quantum numbers.
The principle quantum number (n) describes the size of the orbital the electron is
residing. The azimuthal or angular quantum number (l) describes the shape of the
orbital. The magnetic quantum number (ml) defines the orientation of the orbital in
space and the electron spin number (ms) defines the direction that the electron spins
on its own axis.
Electron configuration is the arrangement of electrons within the orbitals of an atom to
know more about an atom’s electronic property.
The electrons in an atom fill up its atomic orbitals according to the Aufbau Principle;
"Aufbau," in German, means "building up." According to this principle, electrons are
filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s,
5f, 6d, 7p…
Hund’s rule states that before additional electrons with opposite spins can occupy the
same orbitals, single electrons with the same spin must occupy each equal-energy
orbital first.
Atoms with unpaired electrons in their electron configuration and are affected by
magnetic field are paramagnetic. Atoms with no unpaired electrons in their electron
configuration are diamagnetic.

11
 Assessment: (Post-Test)

Multiple Choice. Answer the question that follows. Choose the best answer
among the given choices.

1. How many orbitals in an atom can have the 4d designation?

A. 9 C. 1
B. 5 D. 7
2. Which of the following combinations is allowed?
A. n=2, =1, ml= -1, ms= +1/2 -3, ms= -1/2
B. -1/2 D. None of the above
3. Which element has an electronic configuration of 1s22s22p5?
A. Carbon C. Fluorine
B. Oxygen D. Hydrogen
4. An electron in an f sublevel can have a principle quantum number of _______.
A.4 C. 1
B. 5 D. 8
5. Can orbital 3f exist?
A. Yes C. Maybe
B. No D. Not sure
6. Which element has an electronic configuration of 1s22s2p6 3s23p64s23d3?
A. Carbon C. Krypton
B. Vanadium D. Copper
7. Which of the orbitals has the highest energy?
A. 1s C. 2p
B. 2s D. 3s
8. Which of the following atom is paramagnetic?
A. Zinc C. Calcium
B. Krypton D. Potassium
9. In the ground state of a cobalt atom there are _____ unpaired electrons and the
atom is _____.
A. 3, paramagnetic C. 2, diamagnetic
B. 5, paramagnetic D. 0, diamagnetic
10. Which of the following electrons described by quantum numbers (n, l, ml, ms)
has the highest energy?
A. (3,0,0,+1/2) C. (4,1,0,+1/2)
B. (3,1,-1, -1/2) D. (3,2,0,+1/2)

12