How to Write the Electron Configuration for Hg and Hg 2+

 

In this video we will write the electron configuration for Mercury (Hg) and the Mercury (II) ion. We’ll also look at why Mercury forms a 1- ion and how the electron configuration for Hg 2+ is the same as the Noble gas Xenon. To begin with, Mercury (Hg) has an electronic configuration of 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2 , or [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 in shorthand notation. To learn more about writing electron configurations see: • Introduction to Writing Electron Configurations: https://youtu.be/J-v9_ieCqJI • Electron Configurations Chart: https://youtu.be/TjVrcw2sZLs • Writing Electron Configs Using only the Periodic Table: https://youtu.be/ououF9nHUhk When Mercury forms an ion it loses two valence electron from 6s2. Since electrons are negative losing two electrons results in Hg having a 2+ charge. To write the electron config all we have to do is remove two electrons from the configuration for Hg. That gives us with: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 , or [Xe] 4f14 5d10 in shorthand notation. And that is the electron configuration for Hg 2+ , the Mercury (II) ion.