Plutonium Electron Configuration
Full electron configuration for Plutonium (Pu, element 94): [Rn] 5f⁶ 7s² with orbital diagram and quantum numbers.
Use the Plutonium Electron Configuration
94
Pu
Plutonium
Plutonium (Pu) — Element 94
Actinide · Period 7 · f-block · Radioactive
[Rn] 5f⁶ 7s²
94 electrons total
Full Electron Configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ 5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ 5f⁶ 6s² 6p⁶ 7s²
Click to copy · 94 electrons across 17 subshells
Noble Gas Notation
[Rn] 5f⁶ 7s²
Core ([Rn])
86 electrons
5f subshell
6 electrons
7s subshell
2 electrons
Subshell Fill Summary
1s
2/2
2s
2/2
2p
6/6
3s
2/2
3p
6/6
3d
10/10
4s
2/2
4p
6/6
4d
10/10
4f
14/14
5s
2/2
5p
6/6
5d
10/10
5f
6/14
6s
2/2
6p
6/6
7s
2/2
Orbital Box Diagram — Beyond [Rn] Core
Arrows indicate electron spin (↑ = spin up, ↓ = spin down). Hund's rule: single occupancy before pairing.
5f (6 electrons, 7 orbitals)
7s (2 electrons, 1 orbital)
Quantum Numbers — Outermost Electrons
| Electron | n (principal) |
l (angular) |
mₗ (magnetic) |
mₛ (spin) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7s¹ (first) | 7 | 0 | 0 | +½ |
| 7s² (second) | 7 | 0 | 0 | −½ |
| 5f⁶ (last of 5f) | 5 | 3 | +2 | +½ |
For f-orbitals: l = 3, mₗ ranges from −3 to +3. The 5f subshell has 7 orbitals; Pu places its six 5f electrons singly in six orbitals before any pairing, following Hund's rule.
Actinide Filling Order Context
Plutonium sits in the 5f series. The 5f subshell begins filling at Thorium (Th, Z=90). Pu has 6 of 14 possible 5f electrons.
| Element | Z | Configuration beyond [Rn] |
|---|---|---|
| Np | 93 | 5f⁴ 6d¹ 7s² |
| Pu | 94 | 5f⁶ 7s² |
| Am | 95 | 5f⁷ 7s² |
| Cm | 96 | 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s² |
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Summary
Full electron configuration for Plutonium (Pu, element 94): [Rn] 5f⁶ 7s² with orbital diagram and quantum numbers.
How it works
- Plutonium has 94 electrons that fill orbitals following the Aufbau principle.
- The inner core matches Radon ([Rn] = 86 electrons through 6p6).
- The remaining 8 electrons fill the 5f and 7s subshells: 5f⁶ 7s².
- The 5f subshell holds 6 of its possible 14 electrons, singly occupying six of seven orbitals with no pairing.
- Quantum numbers for the outermost 7s electrons: n=7, l=0, mₗ=0, mₛ=±1/2.
Use cases
- Look up the correct electron configuration for Pu in homework or coursework.
- Understand actinide filling order and 5f orbital behavior.
- Verify quantum numbers for Plutonium's valence electrons.
- Compare Plutonium's configuration with neighboring actinides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Last updated: 2026-09-25 ·
Reviewed by Nham Vu