Electron Config of Lithium

Lithium has atomic number 3, meaning it has 3 electrons to arrange across its orbitals. Its ground-state electron configuration is:

Full notation: `1s² 2s¹`

Shorthand notation: `[He] 2s¹`

This configuration places Lithium in the S-block of the periodic table — Period 2, Group 1. The last subshell filled (the s subshell) determines its block.

SPDF notation tells you exactly: which subshell each electron occupies, how many electrons are in it, and the energy level of each group. This is far more detail than the simpler Bohr model, which only shows shell totals.

The Aufbau (building-up) principle states electrons fill the lowest available energy subshell first. For Lithium (Z=3), the filling stops at the 2s¹ subshell.

Standard Aufbau sequence:

1s → 2s → 2p → 3s → 3p → 4s → 3d → 4p → 5s → 4d → 5p → 6s → 4f → 5d → 6p → 7s → 5f → 6d → 7p

After filling, Lithium's configuration ends at 1s² 2s¹, with 1 valence electron in its outermost subshell.

The orbital diagram of Lithium expands the configuration 1s² 2s¹ into individual orbital boxes:

- Each s subshell holds max 2 electrons (1 orbital)

- Each p subshell holds max 6 electrons (3 orbitals)

- Each d subshell holds max 10 electrons (5 orbitals)

- Each f subshell holds max 14 electrons (7 orbitals)

Hund's Rule dictates that within any subshell, electrons fill each orbital singly (spin up ↑) before pairing. This avoids electron–electron repulsion. Lithium's S-block placement confirms its last orbitals are s type.

The interactive diagram above shows Lithium's complete subshell breakdown with orbital boxes for every energy level.

Follow these steps to write Lithium's electron configuration from scratch:

Step 1: Identify the atomic number: Z = 3 — this is the total number of electrons to place.

Step 2: Follow the Aufbau sequence, filling the lowest energy subshells first:

> 1s → 2s → 2p → 3s → 3p → 4s → 3d → 4p → ...

Step 3: Apply Hund's Rule inside each subshell — one electron per orbital before pairing begins.

Step 4: Apply the Pauli Exclusion Principle — each orbital holds at most 2 electrons with opposite spins.

Step 5: After filling all 3 electrons, your result should match:

> 1s² 2s¹

Shorthand: Replace the preceding noble gas core with its symbol:

> [He] 2s¹

Lithium has 1 valence electron — the electrons in its highest occupied principal energy level.

As a S-block element, Lithium's valence electrons reside in s orbitals. These are the only electrons involved in chemical bonding.

| Block | Type | Max Valence e⁻ |

|---|---|---|

| s-block | Groups 1–2 | 1–2 |

| p-block | Groups 13–18 | 3–8 |

| d-block | Groups 3–12 | up to 10 |

| f-block | Lanthanides/Actinides | up to 14 |

Lithium sits in this table as a s-block element with 1 valence electron.

→ See Lithium's valence electrons in the Bohr model for the shell-based view.

→ Electronegativity of Lithium — how strongly it attracts these electrons.