Electron configuration: Atoms would prefer electron configuration with

Atoms would prefer electron configuration with half-filled or fully-filled orbitals so as to minimizes potential energies. Also, orbitals with opposite spins tend to be unstable due to electrostatic repulsions between electrons and are therefore generally not as favored as orbitals with identical electron spins. graphite is a conductor of electricity because of the electrons that are free to move in the electron configuration of graphite. The electrons in pure graphite carbon are in the 1s^2 2s^2 2p^2 configuration . This creates a planar bonding where the atoms are somewhat free to shift sideways between layers. This structure allows electrons to flow through the structure creating an electric current. Carbon is classified as a non metal but can be +2 or +4 like a metal. Silicon the next member down ... The atomic number of an element is the total number of which particles? What is the electron configuration of an element with atomic number 8? The atomic number of an element is based on what? An element has an atomic number of 76. What is the number of protons and electrons in a neutral atom of the element? What is the atomic number of an element? I think you refer to valence electronic structure....and this is responsible for so-called "periodicity"... Look at valence electronic configuration of the alkali metal..."lithium, Z=3", "sodium, Z=11", "potassium, Z=19". All of these metals have a single valence electron , and upon ionization they form a so-called closed shell inert gas core...i.e. the electronic structure of Li^+ is equivalent to that of He... Since chemistry is based upon the sharing and transfer of electrons, it follows ...