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CHEM 121 Studioby Learn4Less · UBC CHEM 121

CHEM 121 glossary

Block (s, p, d, f)

A region of the periodic table named for the subshell its elements are filling: the s block is 2 columns wide, the p block 6, the d block 10 and the f block 14, matching each subshell's capacity.

Example

Selenium sits in the p block, fourth column: [Ar] 4s2 3d10 4p4[\mathrm{Ar}]\,4s^2\,3d^{10}\,4p^4. Titanium sits in the d block, second column: [Ar] 4s2 3d2[\mathrm{Ar}]\,4s^2\,3d^2.