Chemistry / Chem 0847 · Atom · ~20 seconds
The Aufbau Principle
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The Aufbau principle states electrons fill an atom's orbitals from lowest available energy upward as more electrons are added.
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Building carbon's six electrons fills 1s first, then 2s, then two of the three 2p orbitals, in increasing energy order.
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Filling order tracks energy, not shell number — the 4s orbital fills before 3d despite its lower principal quantum number.