How can you tell the electron configuration from the periodic table?

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Answer 1 · 2017-12-28T13:37:25

By a lot of practice, and a good understanding of this diagram,

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For instance oxygen has a configuration (per that table above) of,

#1s^2 2s^2 2p^4#

and uranium,

#[Rn]5f^3 6d^1 7s^2#

The element in brackets is shorthand for all of the electron configuration it has, since uranium is beyond it in the periodic table.