Electron Configuration of Curium (Cm)
Curium (Cm, Z = 96) has the electron configuration [Rn] 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s², filling 7 shells with 2, 8, 18, 32, 25, 9, 2 electrons.
Looking for Curium'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 Curium page is one click away.
Curium: every subshell, one by one
Read the configuration like a receipt: each line is one subshell, and the running total climbs exactly to 96 electrons — never one more, never one less.
| Subshell | Electrons | Total so far |
|---|---|---|
| [Rn] | 0 | 86 |
| 5f | 7 | 93 |
| 6d | 1 | 94 |
| 7s | 2 | 96 |
Electrons per shell (K, L, M…)
Grouped by principal quantum number instead of subshell, Curium carries 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 18 in shell 3, 32 in shell 4, 25 in shell 5, 9 in shell 6, 2 in shell 7. 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 96 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 Curium that gives [Rn] 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s².
Note: Curium is one of the textbook exceptions to strict aufbau filling — a half-filled or fully-filled d subshell buys extra stability, so its ground-state configuration is [Rn] 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s².
Students also ask
How many electron shells does Curium have?
Curium is in period 7, so its electrons occupy 7 shells, holding 2, 8, 18, 32, 25, 9, 2 electrons respectively.
How many valence electrons does Curium have?
Its outermost shell holds 2 electrons, so Curium has 2 valence electrons that take part in bonding.
What is the noble-gas shorthand for Curium?
The shorthand form is exactly [Rn] 5f⁷ 6d¹ 7s².