Electron Configuration of Sulfur (S)
What is the electron configuration of Sulfur?
The electron configuration of Sulfur (S, Z=16) is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴. In noble gas shorthand: [Ne] 3s² 3p⁴. It has 2 unpaired electron(s) and is a p-block element.
| Symbol | S |
| Atomic Number | 16 |
| Full Electron Configuration | 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴ |
| Noble Gas Shorthand | [Ne] 3s² 3p⁴ |
| Block | p |
| Period | 3 |
| Group | 16 |
| Unpaired Electrons | 2 |
| Exception? | No |
Orbital Filling Order
Following the aufbau principle, the 16 electrons in Sulfur fill orbitals in order of increasing energy: 1s (2 electrons), then 2s (2 electrons), then 2p (6 electrons), then 3s (2 electrons), then 3p (4 electrons).
Each orbital is filled according to the Pauli exclusion principle (at most 2 electrons per orbital) and Hund's rule (electrons occupy degenerate orbitals singly before pairing).
Noble Gas Shorthand
The inner electrons of Sulfur match the configuration of Ne. This allows us to abbreviate the configuration as [Ne] 3s² 3p⁴, where [Ne] represents the filled core and the remaining entries show the valence electrons.
Valence Electrons
The valence shell of Sulfur contains 2 electrons in the 3s subshell and 4 electrons in the 3p subshell. These outermost electrons determine Sulfur's chemical reactivity, bonding behavior, and position in the periodic table as a p-block element in period 3.
Visualize orbital filling with 3D orbital shapes, aufbau principle, and noble gas shorthand for 36 elements.
Explore Sulfur in the Electron Configuration ExplorerRelated Topics
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Electron Configuration of Carbon
Orbital filling for Carbon (p-block)
Electron Configuration of Neon
Orbital filling for Neon (p-block)
Sulfur on the Periodic Table
Full properties and periodic trends for Sulfur
Orbital Hybridization
See how atomic orbitals mix to form sp, sp2, and sp3 hybrids