Gd3+ Electron Configuration: 7 Easy Steps on How to Write!

Gadolinium is a rarely found lanthanide series element in the periodic table. Thus, it is the f-block element. Let us discuss the electronic configuration of the Gd³⁺.

The electronic configuration of gadolinium is [Xe]4f⁷ 5d¹ 6s² and is found in the 6th period of the periodic table with an atomic symbol ‘Gd’ with an atomic mass of 157.25 u. It has an atomic number of 64. The electrons are arranged in atomic orbitals with different energies to attain an electronic configuration.

This article will explain about the electronic configuration of Gd³⁺, its ground state electronic configuration, orbital diagram, and much more.

How to Write Gd³⁺ Electron Configuration

The electronic configuration of Gd³⁺ is [Xe]4f⁷ 5d¹ 6s² and is written as follows:

• The subshells are first represented by the respective notations of the letter symbol. These shells are represented by the principle quantum number ‘n’.
• Now, determine the number of electrons in Gd³⁺.
• Gd³⁺ will have 61 electrons as it will be formed after the loss of 3 electrons. These electrons are filled in the orbitals, and the obtained electronic configuration is [Xe]4f⁷.
• The subshells should be completely or partially filled before the electron enters the next subshell level.

Gd³⁺ Electron Configuration Diagram

The electronic configuration of Gd³⁺ is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 4f⁷. The electrons are filled according to the formula: 2n² where n= 1, 2, 3… n=1 for K, 2 for L, 3 for M, and so on. The electronic configuration diagram of Gd³⁺ is given below.

Gd³⁺ Electron Configuration Notation

The electronic configuration of Gd³⁺ is notated as [Xe]4f⁷.

Gd³⁺ Unabbreviated Electron Configuration

The unabbreviated electronic configuration of Gd³⁺ is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 4f⁷ which is stable because all the shells are either half-filled or fully filled.

Ground State Gd³⁺ Electron Configuration

The ground state electronic configuration of Gd³⁺  is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 4f⁷ which consists of 7 unpaired electrons. 

Ground State Gd³⁺ Orbital Diagram

In the ground state electron distribution, the orbitals are filled as per Pauli exclusion principle. The subshell s, p, d comprises of 1, 3, 5 orbital respectively with 2 electrons in opposite spins. The orbital diagram of Gd³⁺ is given below. 

Conclusion

The electronic configuration of Gd³⁺ is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 4f⁷ which can also be written as [Xe]4f⁷. Gd³⁺ is formed after the loss of 3 electrons from neutral Gd. Gd³⁺ is a stable electronic configuration due to the presence of only half-filled and fully-filled orbitals.

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