To show the electron configuration for an atom, when would it be better to use an orbital notation than to use a written configuration with numbers, letters, and superscripts?

Orbital notation uses boxes or lines for orbitals and arrows for electrons, so it can show each electron’s spin direction. A written configuration such as 1s² 2s² gives the number of electrons in each subshell but does not show their individual spins. Therefore, orbital notation is better when the aim is to show electron spins.

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