What is the electron configuration of gold?

Gold (Au, Z=79) has the ground-state electron configuration [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹. Written in full: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹.

Why is gold's electron configuration anomalous?

The Aufbau principle predicts [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁹ 6s², but gold adopts [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹ instead. A completely filled 5d subshell is energetically more stable than a partially filled one, so one electron migrates from 6s into 5d.

How many valence electrons does gold have?

Gold has 1 valence electron — the single 6s¹ electron. In oxidation states Au⁺ (most common) and Au³⁺, gold loses this electron along with d electrons.

What other elements share this anomalous d10 s1 pattern?

Copper (Cu, [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s¹) and silver (Ag, [Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s¹) are the other Group 11 elements with the same anomalous configuration for the same reason.

What block and period is gold in?

Gold is in Period 6, Group 11, and belongs to the d-block (transition metals) of the periodic table.

What is the noble-gas shorthand for gold?

The condensed notation is [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹, where [Xe] represents the filled xenon core of 54 electrons.

Gold Electron Configuration

Name: Gold Electron Configuration
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Gold (Au, Z=79) has the anomalous configuration [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹ — a fully filled d subshell gained by pulling one electron from 6s.

Z = 79 Au Gold

Gold — Electron Configuration

Atomic number 79 · Transition metal · Period 6, Group 11 · d-block

[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹ 79 electrons 1 valence e⁻ Anomalous d¹⁰ s¹

Anomalous Configuration

Aufbau predicts [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁹ 6s², but gold adopts [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹. A completely filled 5d subshell is more stable — one electron migrates from 6s to 5d. Copper and silver show the same d¹⁰ s¹ pattern for the same reason.

Subshell Breakdown

Subshell	Type	Electrons	Max Capacity	Notation
1s	s orbital, shell n=1	2	2	1s²
2s	s orbital, shell n=2	2	2	2s²
2p	p orbitals, shell n=2	6	6	2p⁶
3s	s orbital, shell n=3	2	2	3s²
3p	p orbitals, shell n=3	6	6	3p⁶
3d	d orbitals, shell n=3	10	10	3d¹⁰
4s	s orbital, shell n=4	2	2	4s²
4p	p orbitals, shell n=4	6	6	4p⁶
4d	d orbitals, shell n=4	10	10	4d¹⁰
4f	f orbitals, shell n=4	14	14	4f¹⁴
5s	s orbital, shell n=5	2	2	5s²
5p	p orbitals, shell n=5	6	6	5p⁶
5d	d orbitals, shell n=5 (anomalous — filled by d¹⁰ s¹ effect)	10	10	5d¹⁰ anomalous
6s	s orbital, shell n=6 (anomalous — single electron)	1	2	6s¹ anomalous
Total		79

Noble-Gas Shorthand

[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹

[Xe] = 54 electrons in the filled xenon core.

Predicted (Aufbau)

[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁹ 6s²

Overridden — d¹⁰ s¹ is lower in energy than d⁹ s².

Shell Fill Summary

Shell 1 (n=1) — 1s² 2 / 2 electrons (100%)

Shell 2 (n=2) — 2s² 2p⁶ 8 / 8 electrons (100%)

Shell 3 (n=3) — 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 18 / 18 electrons (100%)

Shell 4 (n=4) — 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 32 / 32 electrons (100%)

Shell 5 (n=5) — 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 18 / 50 electrons (36%)

Shell 6 (n=6) — 6s¹ 1 / 72 electrons (1%)

Shell 5 holds 18 electrons here (5s + 5p + 5d); shell 6 holds the single anomalous 6s¹ electron.

Orbital Box Diagram — Outermost Subshells

Xenon core (1s through 5p, 54 electrons) is fully filled and shown collapsed. Only 4f, 5d, and 6s are drawn.

[Xe]

54 electrons — 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ (all filled)

14 electrons across 7 orbitals — filled

10 electrons — d¹⁰ anomalous (fully filled for stability)

1 electron (unpaired, spin up) — anomalous s¹

Each box is one orbital. Opposing arrows = paired electrons (spins +½ and −½). The 5d subshell is fully filled at the cost of a half-filled 6s — both marked in color as the anomalous pair.

Quantum Numbers — Valence Region (last 11 electrons, 69–79)

Electron #	n	l	mₗ	mₛ	Subshell
69	5	2	-2	+½	5d
70	5	2	-2	−½	5d
71	5	2	-1	+½	5d
72	5	2	-1	−½	5d
73	5	2	0	+½	5d
74	5	2	0	−½	5d
75	5	2	1	+½	5d
76	5	2	1	−½	5d
77	5	2	2	+½	5d
78	5	2	2	−½	5d
79	6	0	0	+½	6s

n = principal; l = azimuthal (l=2 → d, l=0 → s); mₗ = magnetic; mₛ = spin. Electron 79 (6s, highlighted) is the lone valence electron.

Summary

Gold (Au, Z=79) has the anomalous configuration [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹ — a fully filled d subshell gained by pulling one electron from 6s.

How it works

The Aufbau principle normally fills orbitals from lowest to highest energy.
Gold's 79 electrons would predict [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁹ 6s², but the actual configuration is [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹.
A completely filled 5d¹⁰ subshell is energetically favored — it lowers electron repulsion and increases exchange energy.
One electron migrates from 6s to 5d, giving a full d shell and a single s electron.
Noble-gas notation replaces the xenon core [Xe] = 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ (54 electrons).
The interactive tabs let you explore the configuration, orbital diagram, and element data separately.

Use cases

Quick reference for chemistry homework or exam prep on d-block anomalies.
Understand why gold has a single valence electron despite being a d-block metal.
Compare gold's anomalous configuration to copper (Cu, [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s¹) — the same stabilization effect.
Visualize how a fully filled d subshell influences chemical reactivity and oxidation states.
Teaching aid for explaining exceptions to the Aufbau principle in atomic structure units.
Verify quantum numbers for gold's outermost electrons.
Cross-reference with gold element properties for a full physical and chemical picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-23 · Reviewed by Nham Vu