Final answer:
The correct order is electron, subshell, orbital, shell (energy level), and electron cloud, representing the structure from the smallest component (electron) to the entire region where electrons are likely to be found (electron cloud).
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct order of the items representing the structure of an atom's electron configuration is: d) electron, e) subshell, a) orbital, b) shell (energy level), c) electron cloud. This arrangement reflects the hierarchical structure in which electrons are organized within an atom.
Shells (energy levels) represent the broadest groupings of electrons with similar energy levels, arranged in layers around the nucleus. Within shells, there are subshells, which are subdivisions of shells characterized by distinct shapes and types of orbitals (s, p, d, f). Orbitals are regions within a subshell where electrons with specific energy levels are likely to be found, and each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons. An electron cloud is the overall area around the nucleus where an electron is likely to be; it consists of all the orbitals together. And finally, a d) electron is a subatomic particle with a negative charge that orbits the nucleus within these defined spaces.