configuration (electronic)

A distribution of the electrons of an atom or a molecular entity over a set of one-electron wavefunctions called orbitals, according to the Pauli principle. From one configuration several states with different multiplicities may result. For example, the ground electronic configuration of the oxygen molecule (O₂) is: $1 σ g 2$ , $1 σ u 2$ , $2 σ g 2$ , $2 σ u 2$ , $1 π u 4$ , $3 σ g 2$ , $1 π g 2$ resulting in the $Σ g 3$ , $Δ g 1$ and $Σ g + 1$ multiplets.

Source:

PAC, 1994, 66, 1077 (Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)) on page 1099

PAC, 1996, 68, 2223 (Glossary of terms used in photochemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1996)) on page 2233

Interactive Link Maps
First Level	Second Level	Third Level

Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997). XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.

Last update: 2014-02-24; version: 2.3.3.

DOI of this term: https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01248.

Original PDF version: http://www.iupac.org/goldbook/C01248.pdf. The PDF version is out of date and is provided for reference purposes only. For some entries, the PDF version may be unavailable.

Current PDF version | Version for print | History of this term

PREVIOUS	C01248	NEXT
confidence limits (about the mean)		configuration interaction (CI)