IB Diploma · Chemistry · Chapter 3

Ch 3 S1.3 Electron configurations: complete notes

Neat, exam-ready notebook-style notes for Ch 3 S1.3 Electron configurations, following the IB Diploma syllabus, SL and HL. This chapter is part of the complete Chemistry Notes for IB Diploma Students (SL and HL): All 23 Topics.

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Free preview: Ch 3 S1.3 Electron configurations notes

A quick look at the chapter from our IB Diploma Chemistry notes. The full chapter notes have the detailed explanations, diagrams and practice questions with answers.

Topics in this chapter

1. What you must be able to do
2. Emission spectra and the electromagnetic spectrum
3. Continuous and line spectra
4. The hydrogen emission spectrum
5. Main energy levels, sublevels and orbitals
6. Shapes of orbitals
7. Filling orbitals: the three rules
8. Writing configurations
9. Configurations for Z = 1 to 36
10. The exceptions: chromium and copper
11. Electron configurations of ions
12. Convergence limit and first ionization energy
13. Trends in first ionization energy
14. Successive ionization energies

“I can” checklist: what you must be able to do

• I can explain emission spectra and the hydrogen line spectrum.
• I can give the sublevels, orbitals and capacity of each level.
• I can write full, condensed and arrow-in-box configurations to Z = 36 (Cr, Cu, ions).
• (HL) I can calculate IE from a convergence limit and explain IE trends.
• (HL) I can deduce the group from successive IE data.

What is inside the full chapter notes

• Concept notes with 12 worked examples
• Spectra, energy levels, orbitals and the filling rules
• Configuration table for Z = 1 to 36
• HL: ionization energies, trends and successive IE
• Common mistakes; investigation (IA) ideas
• 15 Paper 1A-style MCQs (5 HL), explained
• 3 Paper 2-style questions (one HL, data-based) with mark schemes
• Quick-reference sheet and "I can" checklist

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What you get in the pack

• All 23 topics of IB Diploma Chemistry for students taking Standard Level or Higher Level (first assessment 2025): the particulate nature of matter, the nuclear atom, electron configurations, the mole, ideal gases, ionic, covalent and metallic bonding, materials and polymers, the periodic table, functional groups, enthalpy changes, energy cycles, fuels, entropy and spontaneity, the amount of chemical change, rate of reaction, equilibrium, acids and bases, redox and electrochemistry, radical reactions, nucleophilic and electrophilic mechanisms
• Every syllabus statement covered in order, each marked SL or HL, with clear notes, tables and diagrams drawn for these notes
• Worked examples in every topic: calculations and model answers that show how to earn the marks
• Original Paper 1A-style multiple-choice questions with explained answers, plus Paper 2-style structured and data-based questions with full mark schemes (no past-paper reprints)
• Common mistakes and investigation (internal assessment) ideas for every topic
• Quick-reference sheet and an "I can" checklist at the end of every topic
• Colour PDF and a black and white copy of every chapter for printing
• Independent notes for IB Diploma students; not endorsed by or affiliated with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO)

All chapters in this pack

1. Ch 1 S1.1 Introduction to the particulate nature of matter
2. Ch 2 S1.2 The nuclear atom
3. Ch 3 S1.3 Electron configurations
4. Ch 4 S1.4 Counting particles by mass: the mole
5. Ch 5 S1.5 Ideal gases
6. Ch 6 S2.1 The ionic model
7. Ch 7 S2.2 The covalent model (2.2.1-2.2.7)
8. Ch 8 S2.2 The covalent model (2.2.8-2.2.16)
9. Ch 9 S2.3 The metallic model
10. Ch 10 S2.4 From models to materials
11. Ch 11 S3.1 The periodic table
12. Ch 12 S3.2 Functional groups
13. Ch 13 R1.1 Measuring enthalpy changes
14. Ch 14 R1.2 Energy cycles in reactions
15. Ch 15 R1.3 Energy from fuels
16. Ch 16 R1.4 Entropy and spontaneity (HL)
17. Ch 17 R2.1 How much? The amount of chemical change
18. Ch 18 R2.2 How fast? The rate of chemical change
19. Ch 19 R2.3 How far? The extent of chemical change
20. Ch 20 R3.1 Proton transfer reactions
21. Ch 21 R3.2 Electron transfer reactions
22. Ch 22 R3.3 Electron sharing reactions
23. Ch 23 R3.4 Electron-pair sharing reactions