Question

How do you use shorthand notation?

Answer 1

To use a noble gas in the electron configuration.

E.g. `[Ne]3s^1`

Explanation:

It means to use noble gas configuration to shorten the electron configuration names.

We could use it for big elements like Uranium (`U`).

Instead of writing:

Uranium has an electron configuration of `1s^2\2s^2\2p^6\3s^2\3p^6\4s^2\3d^10\4p^6\5s^2\4d^10\5p^6\6s^2\4f^14\5d^10\6p^6\7s^2\5f^4`.

We can write it with a noble gas, which shortens it immensely

From `1s^2\2s^2\2p^6\3s^2\3p^6\4s^2\3d^10\4p^6\5s^2\4d^10\5p^6\6s^2\4f^14\5d^10\6p^6\7s^2\5f^4`,
we shorten it to just `[Rn]5f^3\6d^1\7s^2`.

The trick is to use the closest noble gas to the element you are writing it with the e. configuration, and then continue with the pattern shown in this picture: