Periodic Table Battleship - About Targeting Ships

 

Background:

The electrons in atoms are located inside of orbitals that have specific quantized energy levels. According to the modern quantum mechanical model, there are different types of orbitals. Each orbital is distinguished from other types by its shape. There are s, p, d, and f orbital types. The number of electrons stored in these orbital types varies. The location of the electrons in atoms is described by an electron configuration.

 

About Electron Configurations

Electron configurations describe the location of electrons. The energy level and orbital type is described with a notation like 1s or 2p or 3d. The number describes the energy level and the letter describes the orbtial type. Additionally, a superscript is used to identify the number of electrons that are present in such orbitals at that energy level. So as an example, the location of the 11 electrons of sodium would be described by the following electron configuration:

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹

The last part of this electron configuration - 3s¹ - is unique to sodium. No other element besides sodium ends with 3s¹. The same can be said for any other element on the periodic table - the way that it's electron configuration ends is unique to the element. So this last part of an electron configuration becomes identifying. In Periodic Table Battleship you will use this fact to identify the element that you wish to target and fire a torpedo at. If you enter 3s¹, then you are asking the program to fire a torpedo at sodium.

It ends up that there is a clear relationship between an element's location on the Periodic Table and the last term of the electron configuration. We address this in detail on our Help page.