, we see that the first two electrons in a lithium atom are very strongly bound compared with the electron in a hydrogen atom; they are still more rigidly bound than the electrons in a helium atom.
From a consideration of the chemical properties we should expect the following configuration for the electrons in a neutral lithium atom:
This configuration may be considered as highly probable also from a dynamical point of view. The deviation of the outermost electron from a circular orbit will be very small, partly on account of the great values of the ratio between the radii, and of the ratio between the frequencies of the orbits of the inner and outer electrons, partly also on account of the symmetrical arrangement of the inner electrons. Accordingly, it appears probable that the three electrons will not arrange themselves in a single ring and form the system:
although
for this configuration is greater than for