# What is the noble gas electron configuration for gold?

May 8, 2014

Gold - Au, on the periodic table is found in the eleventh column of the periodic table Group IB this is the 9th column of the d block. Gold is in the sixth energy level (row).

This means that Gold must end with an electron configuration of $5 {d}^{9}$
The total electron configuration would be
$1 {s}^{2} 2 {s}^{2} 2 {P}^{6} 3 {s}^{2} 3 {p}^{6} 4 {s}^{2} 3 {d}^{10} 4 {p}^{6} 5 {s}^{2} 4 {d}^{10} 5 {p}^{6} 6 {s}^{2} 4 {f}^{14} 5 {d}^{9}$

The noble gas Xenon has an electron configuration of
$1 {s}^{2} 2 {s}^{2} 2 {P}^{6} 3 {s}^{2} 3 {p}^{6} 4 {s}^{2} 3 {d}^{10} 4 {p}^{6} 5 {s}^{2} 4 {d}^{10} 5 {p}^{6}$

So we can replace this portion of tin's electron configuration with the noble gas notation [Xe]

This makes the electron configuration for Gold - Au
$\left[X e\right] 6 {s}^{2} 4 {f}^{14} 5 {d}^{9}$
For transition metals in the ${d}^{9}$ column the electron from the s orbital will jump to the d and complete the orbital.
$\left[X e\right] 6 {s}^{1} 4 {f}^{14} 5 {d}^{10}$

I hope this was helpful.
SMARTERTEACHER