Using the above table, describe the electron configuration of a neon atom.
The answer is found by following the arrows until the exponents sum to 10:
Within the guide given by the table of electron configuration, there are additional trends and adjustments to allow the electrons to assume the lowest potential energy configuration possible. The first additional rule is Hund's rule. According to Hund's rule, electrons prefer to occupy an empty orbital rather than a half-full one. For example, in the configuration for nitrogen, 3 electrons occupy the 2p subshell. Instead of entirely filling one orbital and half-filling another, the electrons will tend to half-fill each of the three orbitals. Additionally, Hund's rule states that to minimize energy, these electrons will assume parallel spins. When electrons are spinning in the same direction, they are said to have parallel spins.
One other adjustment affecting the d and f subshells is necessary to minimize the total potential energy of the atom. Both the d and f subshells are most stable in the half-full and full configurations.
