What is the electron configuration of vanadium?

Vanadium (V, Z=23) has the ground-state electron configuration 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s². Its 23 electrons fill nine subshells across four principal shells.

What is the noble-gas shorthand for vanadium?

The condensed notation is [Ar] 3d³ 4s², where [Ar] represents the filled argon core (1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶, Z=18).

How many unpaired electrons does vanadium have?

Vanadium has three unpaired electrons in its 3d subshell. By Hund's rule, each of the three 3d³ electrons occupies a separate orbital with parallel spins before any pairing occurs.

Why does vanadium have multiple oxidation states?

The 3d and 4s electrons of vanadium are close in energy. Vanadium can lose 2 (4s²), 3 (4s² + one 3d), 4 (4s² + two 3d), or all 5 (4s² + three 3d) valence electrons, giving oxidation states from +2 to +5.

What block and period is vanadium in?

Vanadium is in Period 4, Group 5 (VB), and belongs to the d-block of the periodic table. It is the third d-block element after scandium (Z=21) and titanium (Z=22).

What is the most common oxidation state of vanadium?

Vanadium most commonly appears as V⁵⁺ (in vanadium pentoxide V₂O₅) and as the vanadyl cation VO²⁺ (V⁴⁺). In acidic solution, all four states +2 through +5 are stable and exhibit characteristic colors.

What are the main uses of vanadium?

About 85% of vanadium goes into high-strength steel alloys (HSLA steel for construction and automotive). Vanadium pentoxide (V₂O₅) is the key catalyst in the contact process for sulfuric acid. Vanadium redox flow batteries use V²⁺/V³⁺ and VO²⁺/VO₃⁻ couples for large-scale energy storage.

Vanadium Electron Configuration

Name: Vanadium Electron Configuration
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Author: Nham Vu

Reference for vanadium's electron configuration (1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s²), orbital box diagram, quantum numbers, oxidation states (+2 to +5), and key applications in alloys, catalysts, and batteries.

Z = 23 V Vanadium

Vanadium — Electron Configuration

Atomic number 23 · Transition metal · Period 4, Group 5 · d-block

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s² [Ar] 3d³ 4s² 23 electrons 5 valence e⁻

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 (valence)	3	10	3d³
4s	s orbital, shell n=4 (valence)	2	2	4s²
Total		23

Full Configuration

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s²

All subshells written explicitly. Total: 23 electrons.

Noble-Gas Shorthand

[Ar] 3d³ 4s²

[Ar] = 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ (the argon core, Z=18).

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 3d³ 11 / 18 electrons (61%)

Shell 4 (n=4) — 4s² 2 / 32 electrons (6%)

Shell 3 can hold 18 electrons (3s + 3p + 3d); vanadium has 11 so far, with 3d still partially filled. As a d-block element, vanadium's 3d³ and 4s² electrons together make up its five valence electrons.

Oxidation States (+2 to +5)

State	Species	Electrons lost	Color (aqueous)	Note
+2	V²⁺	4s²	Violet	Reducing agent; [Ar] 3d³
+3	V³⁺	4s² + one 3d	Green	[Ar] 3d²
+4	VO²⁺ (vanadyl)	4s² + two 3d	Blue	[Ar] 3d¹; stable with oxygen
+5	VO₃⁻ / V₂O₅	4s² + three 3d	Yellow	[Ar] d⁰; strongest oxidizer

All four oxidation states are stable in acidic aqueous solution. The V⁵⁺/V⁴⁺ and V³⁺/V²⁺ couples are exploited in vanadium redox flow batteries for energy storage.

Why 4s Fills Before 3d

For neutral atoms from potassium (Z=19) through zinc (Z=30), the 4s orbital is lower in energy than 3d, so 4s receives electrons first. Once 4s is full, the 3d subshell begins filling. In vanadium, 4s holds 2 electrons and 3d holds 3. When vanadium forms ions (losing electrons), the 4s electrons are removed first because ionization reverses the energy ordering — the 3d become lower in energy than 4s in the cation.

Orbital Box Diagram

2 electrons (paired) — filled

6 electrons across 3 orbitals — filled

2 electrons (paired) — filled

6 electrons across 3 orbitals — filled (argon core ends here)

empty

3 electrons, one per orbital (Hund's rule) — 2 orbitals empty

2 electrons (paired) — filled valence s orbital

Each box = one orbital. Opposing arrows = paired electrons (spin +½ and −½); single arrow = unpaired (spin +½). The 3d³ electrons are each in separate orbitals with parallel spins per Hund's rule, giving vanadium three unpaired electrons and a paramagnetic ground state.

Quantum Numbers for All 23 Electrons

Electron #	n	l	mₗ	mₛ	Subshell
1	1	0	0	+½	1s
2	1	0	0	−½	1s
3	2	0	0	+½	2s
4	2	0	0	−½	2s
5	2	1	-1	+½	2p
6	2	1	-1	−½	2p
7	2	1	0	+½	2p
8	2	1	0	−½	2p
9	2	1	1	+½	2p
10	2	1	1	−½	2p
11	3	0	0	+½	3s
12	3	0	0	−½	3s
13	3	1	-1	+½	3p
14	3	1	-1	−½	3p
15	3	1	0	+½	3p
16	3	1	0	−½	3p
17	3	1	1	+½	3p
18	3	1	1	−½	3p
19	4	0	0	+½	4s
20	4	0	0	−½	4s
21	3	2	-2	+½	3d
22	3	2	-1	+½	3d
23	3	2	0	+½	3d

n = principal; l = azimuthal (0=s, 1=p, 2=d); mₗ = magnetic; mₛ = spin. Electrons 19–23 (highlighted) are the five valence electrons: 4s² fills first, then 3d³ with three parallel spins per Hund's rule.

Summary

How it works

The Aufbau principle fills orbitals from lowest to highest energy: 1s → 2s → 2p → 3s → 3p → 4s → 3d.
For transition metals, 4s fills before 3d because 4s is lower in energy for neutral atoms in this region.
Vanadium's 23 electrons fill nine subshells, with the last five going into 3d³ and 4s².
The three unpaired 3d electrons obey Hund's rule: one electron per 3d orbital before pairing.
Noble-gas shorthand replaces the 18-electron argon core with [Ar]: [Ar] 3d³ 4s².
The tabs below show the configuration table, orbital diagram, and element data.

Use cases

Quick reference for chemistry homework or periodic-table exam review.
Understand why vanadium has multiple oxidation states (+2, +3, +4, +5) from its 3d electrons.
Visualize Hund's rule — three unpaired 3d electrons each occupy a separate orbital.
Compare vanadium to neighboring d-block elements (Ti, Cr) to see trends in filling.
Study why 4s fills before 3d in transition metals using the Aufbau principle.
Teaching aid for d-block electron configuration and transition-metal chemistry.
Learn how vanadium's configuration enables its role in redox batteries and catalysis.
Verify quantum numbers for all 23 electrons of vanadium.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-22 · Reviewed by Nham Vu