Full configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶
In the short form, [Xe] stands for the 54 electrons of xenon, the noble gas before radon. Only the electrons after it are written out.
Orbital diagram
5d↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓↑↓
6s↑↓
6p↑↓↑↓↑↓
Outer subshells only. Each box is an orbital; electrons fill singly first (Hund's rule), then pair up with opposite spins.
What the configuration tells you
Radon is in group 18, period 6, in the p-block. It has a full outer shell, which is why it's so unreactive.
Nearby elements
| Z | Element | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| 83 | Bismuth | [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p³ |
| 84 | Polonium | [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁴ |
| 85 | Astatine | [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁵ |
| 87 | Francium | [Rn] 7s¹ |
| 88 | Radium | [Rn] 7s² |
| 89 | Actinium | [Rn] 6d¹ 7s² |
Questions students ask
What is the electronic configuration of radon?
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶, or in full, 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶. Radon has atomic number 86.
How many electrons are in each shell of radon?
2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8 (K, L, M, N… shells in order).
How many unpaired electrons does radon have?
0 in the ground state, so radon atoms are diamagnetic.