Bismuth (Bi)
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³. 3 unpaired electrons, period 6, group 15, p block.
Element or ion
Type a symbol, a name or an atomic number, add a charge such as Fe3+ or Cl-, or tap an element in the table. Orbitals fill from m = −l up, spin +½ first.
BiBismuth, Z = 83, 208.98 u
[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p3
In full: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³
- Blockp block
- Period6
- Group15
- Valence5
- Unpaired3
- MagneticPara
Last electron 6p
- n6shell
- l1p subshell
- m+1orbital
- s+½spin up
Step by step
- Bismuth has 83 electrons.
- Fill in (n + l) order: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6p³.
- Write the subshells in order of n: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³.
- Replace the xenon core with [Xe]: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³.
Bismuth (Bi): the numbers
| Atomic number | 83 |
|---|---|
| Atomic mass | 208.98 u |
| Period | 6 |
| Group | 15 |
| Block | p block |
| Valence electrons | 5 |
| Unpaired electrons | 3 |
| Magnetic | paramagnetic |
| Last electron | 6p: n = 6, l = 1, m = +1, s = +1/2 |
Bismuth (Bi): quick answers
What is the electronic configuration of bismuth?
Bismuth has 83 electrons: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³, or [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³ in short.
How many unpaired electrons does bismuth have?
Bismuth has 3 unpaired electrons, so it is paramagnetic. Put one electron in each box of a subshell before pairing (Hund’s rule) to see them.
What are the quantum numbers of the last electron of bismuth?
The last electron goes into 6p: n = 6, l = 1, m = +1, s = +1/2. Orbitals fill from m = −l up, spin +½ first.