Full configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶ 5f³ 6d¹ 7s²
In the short form, [Rn] stands for the 86 electrons of radon, the noble gas before uranium. Only the electrons after it are written out.
Orbital diagram
5f↑↑↑
6d↑
7s↑↓
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
Uranium is in the actinoids, period 7, in the f-block. It has 4 unpaired electrons in the ground state, so the atom is paramagnetic.
Nearby elements
| Z | Element | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| 89 | Actinium | [Rn] 6d¹ 7s² |
| 90 | Thorium | [Rn] 6d² 7s² |
| 91 | Protactinium | [Rn] 5f² 6d¹ 7s² |
| 93 | Neptunium | [Rn] 5f⁴ 6d¹ 7s² |
| 94 | Plutonium | [Rn] 5f⁶ 7s² |
| 95 | Americium | [Rn] 5f⁷ 7s² |
Questions students ask
What is the electronic configuration of uranium?
[Rn] 5f³ 6d¹ 7s², or in full, 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁶ 5f³ 6d¹ 7s². Uranium has atomic number 92.
How many electrons are in each shell of uranium?
2, 8, 18, 32, 21, 9, 2 (K, L, M, N… shells in order).
How many unpaired electrons does uranium have?
4 in the ground state, so uranium atoms are paramagnetic.