Germanium Electron Configuration: 5 Easy Steps(How to Write)

Germanium is the metalloid present in the periodic table. Let us discuss the electronic configuration of the germanium element.

Germanium has an electronic configuration of [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p². It is a p-block element with the atomic symbol ‘Ge’ with an atomic mass of 72.630 u. It has an atomic number of 32; thus, the electrons are arranged in atomic orbitals with different energies to attain an electronic configuration.

In this article, we will be learning all about Ge’s ground state and excited state electronic configuration, along with its ground state orbital diagram and much more.

How to Write Germanium Electron Configuration

The electronic configuration of Germanium is written as [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p². 

• It is due to the presence of 32 electrons. These electrons are filled in the orbitals as 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p².
• The subshells are first represented by the respective notations of the letter symbol.
• The electrons are filled in the lower energy orbitals first. 
• Since 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ is argon’s electronic configuration, a noble gas. It can be abbreviated as Ar.

Germanium Electron Configuration Diagram

The electronic configuration of germanium is [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p². It contains 2, 8, 18, and 4 electrons in its shells. The electrons are filled according to the formula: 2n² where n= 1, 2, 3… n=1 for K, 2 for L, 3 for M, and so on. The electronic configuration of germanium is given below.

Germanium Electron Configuration Notation

The electronic configuration of Germanium is 1s² 2s² 2p_x² 2p_y² 2p_z² 3s² 3p_x² 3p_y² 3p_z² 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p_x¹ 4p_y¹.

Germanium Unabbreviated Electron Configuration

The unabbreviated electronic configuration of Germanium is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p².

Ground State Germanium Electron Configuration

The ground state electronic configuration of Germanium is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p² where electrons are filled in the increasing order of energies: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d..

Excited State of Germanium Electron Configuration

The excited state electronic configuration of Germanium is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s¹ 4p_x¹ 4p_y¹ 4p_z¹ as shown in the image below.

Ground State Germanium Orbital Diagram

The ground state germanium orbital diagram as per the Pauli exclusion principle is given below.

Conclusion

Germanium consists of 32 electrons. The ground electronic configuration can be written as 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p² or [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p². An electron from a 4s orbital gets excited to a 4p orbital to attain an excited state electronic configuration which is written as 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s¹ 4p_x¹ 4p_y¹ 4p_z¹.

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