Electron Configuration of Rhenium (Re)
Rhenium (Re, Z = 75) has the electron configuration [Xe] 4f^14 5d^5 6s^2, filling 6 shells with 2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2 electrons.
Looking for Rhenium'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 Rhenium page is one click away.
Rhenium: every subshell, one by one
Read the configuration like a receipt: each line is one subshell, and the running total climbs exactly to 75 electrons — never one more, never one less.
| Subshell | Electrons | Total so far |
|---|---|---|
| [Xe] | 0 | 54 |
| 4f | 14 | 68 |
| 5d | 5 | 73 |
| 6s | 2 | 75 |
Electrons per shell (K, L, M…)
Grouped by principal quantum number instead of subshell, Rhenium carries 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 18 in shell 3, 32 in shell 4, 13 in shell 5, 2 in shell 6. 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 75 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 Rhenium that gives [Xe] 4f^14 5d^5 6s^2.
Students also ask
How many electron shells does Rhenium have?
Rhenium is in period 6, so its electrons occupy 6 shells, holding 2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2 electrons respectively.
How many valence electrons does Rhenium have?
Its outermost shell holds 2 electrons, so Rhenium has 2 valence electrons that take part in bonding.
What is the noble-gas shorthand for Rhenium?
The shorthand form is exactly [Xe] 4f^14 5d^5 6s^2.