A dog is suspected of attacking a runner in the park. This runner was wearing a pearlescent lip gloss containing bismuth hypochlorite, a compound often used in cosmetics to give this pearlescent effect. Upon analyzing a residue on the dog's fur, this compound is detected giving additional support to the victim's claim. Write the complete and shorthand electron configurations for bismuth.

Bismuth, known by its chemical symbol Bi, is a heavy, brittle metal with atomic number 83. Understanding the electron configuration of Bismuth is essential for fields such as chemistry and materials science.

To determine the electron configuration of Bismuth, we must first know the total number of electrons to distribute. Since Bismuth's atomic number is 83, it possesses 83 electrons. The arrangement of these electrons is based on the principle that electrons fill orbitals in order of increasing energy levels.

The orbitals are filled in the following sequence: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, and 6p. This is known as the Aufbau principle, dictating that each electron occupies the lowest energy orbital available. Therefore, the complete electron configuration for Bismuth starts at 1s and continues to fill the energy levels up until all 83 electrons are accounted for, leading to the configuration: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6p³.

The shorthand electron configuration is a simplified way of expressing the arrangement of electrons around an atom's nucleus. This notation is particularly useful for elements with large numbers of electrons, like bismuth.

To write the shorthand electron configuration, we use the electron configuration of the nearest noble gas of a lower atomic number as a starting point. This condensed notation provides a shortcut by encapsulating the electrons that are held in common with the noble gas. For Bismuth, the nearest noble gas is Xenon (Xe), which has an atomic number of 54. Up to this point, Bismuth shares the same electron configuration as Xenon.

Therefore, the shorthand configuration starts with [Xe], representing all the electrons up to 54. From there, we only add the electrons that Bismuth has beyond those of Xenon, resulting in the shorthand form: [Xe] 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6p³. This format easily indicates the position of Bismuth's valence, or outermost, electrons, which are important for predicting the chemical reactivity and bonding behavior of the atom.

The periodic table is a tabular display of all known chemical elements organized by their atomic number, electron configurations, and recurring chemical properties. Elements are listed in order of increasing atomic number from left to right and are arranged into rows called periods and columns called groups or families.

The periodic table provides a wealth of information about the elements and how they relate to one another. For example, elements within the same group typically exhibit similar chemical behaviors because they have the same number of valence electrons. This understanding is key when predicting how an element will react under certain conditions or in combination with other elements.

The placement of Bismuth in the periodic table is significant. It is found in group 15, which consists of elements known as the pnictogens, and it resides in the sixth period. The table is also a crucial tool in writing both complete and shorthand electron configurations, as demonstrated with Bismuth. The atomic number of Bismuth allows us to calculate its electron configuration, and its group and period provide additional insights into its properties and behavior.