Final answer:
To ensure an electron configuration is correct, confirm the number of electrons equals the atomic number or accounts for the ion charge, and ensure the configuration follows the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli Exclusion Principle.
Step-by-step explanation:
Two checks you can do to ensure your electron configuration is correct are:
- Verify that the total number of electrons equals the atomic number of the atom or the ionic charge for ions. This confirms that you have the correct overall electron count.
- Check that your electron configuration follows the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli Exclusion Principle, which means filling orbitals from lower to higher energy levels, maximizing unpaired electrons in a subshell before pairing, and allowing only two electrons of opposite spin per orbital, respectively.
If these conditions are met, the electron configuration should be accurate.