Talk:Electron configuration

Electron shell, Orbitals, Atomic orbital, Electron configuration and possibly periodic table block should all be merged into a single article, preferably by someone who knows what they are talking about. The Anome

OK, I've had a go at it; I'll set about redirecting all those other pages. I'm a bit worried that the new version is a bit too Quantum Mechanical right from the off; I did try at first to write it describing the way it all works and then explaining the QM behind it at the end but it felt like a clumsy structure. If anyone feels like finding/making some pictures I think it'd be nice to have: some 3-D plots of the shapes of some of the more interesting orbitals, the energy level diagram (to replace the fixed-width thing at the moment) and possibly a diagram to illustrate the l/m_l magnitude-of-vector/projection-of-vector-on-z-axis analogy. Depending on how much free time I end up with this weekend I may even try making some myself. --Bth

doesn't the p shell have 8 slots, not 6 as it says in the table? (I might be wrong. Long time since last did chem) -- Tarquin

The article is correct, p only has 6. Which are; p_x, p_y and p_z. There are no orbitals with 8 electrons, but the second energy level does have 8, so that may be where the confusion is coming from. Hm, come to think of it we need a good explanation on how these two systems relate to one another. --mav

Dammit, I had that in the draft at one stage but it got lost in the transition. How's the new bit? --Bth 08:00 Sep 27, 2002 (UTC)

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Ok, a pet peeve. We can talk Legendre polynomials all day long, and its as if I really do care (not), but no one has seen to explain how the s orbitals were named s, the p were named p, d named d, etc. It *is* a nice story, digs up something about the history of spectroscopy, and puts a descriptive face on something the physics types can easily bury in the math of it all. If you don't remember, they're named after the characteristics of spectral lines. (s)trong, (p)rincipal, (d)iffuse, (f)undamental, etc. This characterization of the lines came before quantum theory was invented. I don't have the entire story off the top of my head, else I'd just write it. David M

That does sound interesting and I do vaguely remember one of my college chem profs mention that during one class. I will keep an eye out for the specifics. --mav

It probably belongs in another article, a history of spectroscopy, but with proper linkage back and forth, could add some descriptive color to this topic.dwmyers