Final answer:
The order of orbital filling in the atomic structure follows the Aufbau principle. Electrons fill the lowest energy level orbitals first in a specific order. For example, in oxygen, the 1s, 2s, and 2p orbitals are filled in that order.
Step-by-step explanation:
Orbital Filling in the Atomic Structure
When filling the orbitals of an atom, we follow a specific order known as the Aufbau principle. This principle states that electrons occupy the lowest energy level orbitals first in a specific order.
The order of filling for sublevels is as follows:
- 1s
- 2s
- 2p
- 3s
- 3p
- 4s
- 3d
- 4p
- 5s
- 4d
- 5p
- 6s
- 4f
- 5d
- 6p
For example, the electron configuration of oxygen is 1s²2s²2p⁴. This means that the 1s orbital is filled with 2 electrons, followed by the 2s orbital with another 2 electrons, and finally the 2p orbital with 4 electrons.