Full configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s²
In the short form, [Ar] stands for the 18 electrons of argon, the noble gas before vanadium. Only the electrons after it are written out.
Orbital diagram
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
Vanadium is in group 5, period 4, in the d-block. It has 3 unpaired electrons in the ground state, so the atom is paramagnetic.
Configuration of vanadium ions
| Ion | Configuration | Unpaired | Moment (BM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| V²⁺ | [Ar] 3d³ | 3 | 3.87 |
| V³⁺ | [Ar] 3d² | 2 | 2.83 |
| V⁵⁺ | [Ar] | 0 | 0.00 |
Moment is the spin-only magnetic moment μ = √(n(n + 2)) Bohr magnetons, where n is the number of unpaired electrons. Positive ions lose electrons from the outermost shell first, so transition metals lose their 4s or 5s electrons before d.
Nearby elements
| Z | Element | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Calcium | [Ar] 4s² |
| 21 | Scandium | [Ar] 3d¹ 4s² |
| 22 | Titanium | [Ar] 3d² 4s² |
| 24 | Chromium | [Ar] 3d⁵ 4s¹ |
| 25 | Manganese | [Ar] 3d⁵ 4s² |
| 26 | Iron | [Ar] 3d⁶ 4s² |
Questions students ask
What is the electronic configuration of vanadium?
[Ar] 3d³ 4s², or in full, 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d³ 4s². Vanadium has atomic number 23.
How many electrons are in each shell of vanadium?
2, 8, 11, 2 (K, L, M, N… shells in order).
How many unpaired electrons does vanadium have?
3 in the ground state, so vanadium atoms are paramagnetic.
What is the electronic configuration of V²⁺?
[Ar] 3d³, with 3 unpaired electrons.