What is nickel’s electron configuration?

Nickel (Ni) has an electron configuration of 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d⁸. This configuration represents the distribution of its 28 electrons among its various energy levels and orbitals. The numbers and letters in the configuration represent the following:

1s²: This indicates that there are 2 electrons in the first energy level (n=1), specifically in the 1s orbital.

2s² 2p⁶: This represents the 2nd energy level (n=2) with 2 electrons in the 2s orbital and 6 electrons in the 2p orbitals.

3s² 3p⁶: This represents the 3rd energy level (n=3) with 2 electrons in the 3s orbital and 6 electrons in the 3p orbitals.

4s²: Finally, there are 2 electrons in the 4s orbital.

3d⁸: There are 8 electrons in the 3d orbitals.

In total, nickel has 28 electrons, and this electron configuration accounts for all of them.