Hog Hilton

My Chemistry Co-op class has started to learn about electron configurations.  I use an analogy with metro cars.  Each metro car is an orbital.  Generally each seat hold two riders.  People try to sit as close to the door as possible.  People stay as far apart as possible, only sitting next to strangers after each bench has one rider.  Another analogy is Hog Hilton.  It’s another way to help kids understand the rules underlying electron configurations.  Here is another Hog Hilton worksheet.  Usually kids understand the concept with practice.  Here is the slideshow I’m using with the kids.  Note the periodic tables showing the s,p,d, and f blocks.