Electron Configuration of Zinc (Zn)
Zinc (Zn, Z = 30) has the electron configuration [Ar] 3d^10 4s^2, filling 4 shells with 2, 8, 18, 2 electrons.
Looking for Zinc's electron configuration without wading through a whole chapter? Here is the direct answer first, then the tables and derivations examiners want to see. Every number on this page comes from the same engine that powers the interactive table. Need the whole picture instead — history, characteristics, uses, exam questions? The full Zinc page is one click away.
Zinc: every subshell, one by one
Read the configuration like a receipt: each line is one subshell, and the running total climbs exactly to 30 electrons — never one more, never one less.
| Subshell | Electrons | Total so far |
|---|---|---|
| [Ar] | 0 | 18 |
| 3d | 10 | 28 |
| 4s | 2 | 30 |
Electrons per shell (K, L, M…)
Grouped by principal quantum number instead of subshell, Zinc carries 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 18 in shell 3, 2 in shell 4. The outermost shell holds 2 electrons — the ones that do all the bonding.
How to derive it yourself
Follow the aufbau order (1s → 2s → 2p → 3s → 3p → 4s → 3d → …), pouring 30 electrons into orbitals of capacity 2 (s), 6 (p), 10 (d) and 14 (f) until none remain. Write the filled inner shells as the nearest noble-gas core — for Zinc that gives [Ar] 3d^10 4s^2.
Students also ask
How many electron shells does Zinc have?
Zinc is in period 4, so its electrons occupy 4 shells, holding 2, 8, 18, 2 electrons respectively.
How many valence electrons does Zinc have?
Its outermost shell holds 2 electrons, so Zinc has 2 valence electrons that take part in bonding.
What is the noble-gas shorthand for Zinc?
The shorthand form is exactly [Ar] 3d^10 4s^2.