How do I draw an energy level diagram?

Type the atom name or reaction, specify which subshells or energy levels to show, and mention any labels you need (orbital names, electron spin arrows, activation energy, delta H). Figviz places the horizontal energy levels on a vertical axis, adds electrons or transition arrows, and labels everything. You can refine the prompt to adjust any detail.

Is the energy level diagram generator free?

Yes. Every account starts with free credits you can use straight away. Buying a pay-as-you-go credit pack removes the watermark and unlocks higher export resolutions. Credits never expire.

What is the Aufbau principle?

The Aufbau principle states that electrons fill atomic orbitals starting from the lowest available energy level and working upward. The filling order is 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, and so on. The diagonal Aufbau chart (sometimes called the Madelung rule chart) is a handy visual for remembering the sequence.

Can it show reaction energy profiles?

Yes. Describe an exothermic or endothermic reaction and ask for a potential energy vs reaction coordinate curve. Figviz draws the reactant and product plateaus, the transition state peak, and labels the activation energy (Ea) and enthalpy change (delta H).

Can I use it for chemistry class or homework?

Yes. You can download a high-resolution PNG (up to 4K) for slides, printed worksheets, lab reports, and study guides. As an AI tool it is excellent for practice and learning; always verify the electron counts and orbital labels before submitting high-stakes work, and diagrams from a paid account can be included in your own teaching materials.

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Energy Level Diagram Generator Energy Level Diagrams

Describe an atom, electron configuration, or chemical reaction and get a clean, labeled energy level diagram in seconds. Orbital filling, electron transitions, reaction energy profiles, and more.

✓Atomic orbitals and transitions✓Aufbau and Hund's rule diagrams✓Reaction energy profiles✓Slide and print readyLast updated: 2026-06-21

Energy Level Diagram Examples

Browse energy level diagrams made with Figviz, or generate your own above

Electron Configuration Orbital Diagram

Orbital filling diagram with 1s through 3p subshells, each box labeled and filled with spin-up and spin-down arrows per Aufbau and Hund's rules.

electron configurationorbital diagramaufbau

Atomic Energy Levels with Electron Transitions

Four principal energy levels for hydrogen (n=1 to n=4) with upward absorption arrows and downward photon-emission arrows labeled with wavelengths.

atomic energy levelselectron transitionsphoton emission

Aufbau Orbital Filling Diagram

The Aufbau diagonal filling order from 1s to 5s, with diagonal arrows showing the sequence electrons fill subshells.

aufbau principleorbital fillingsubshell order

Exothermic Reaction Energy Profile

Reaction coordinate curve for an exothermic reaction with reactants, transition state peak, products, activation energy (Ea), and negative delta H labeled.

reaction energy profileexothermicactivation energy

Endothermic Reaction Energy Profile

Reaction coordinate curve for an endothermic reaction showing reactants below products and a positive enthalpy change.

reaction energy profileendothermicdelta H

Carbon Atom Energy Level Diagram

Energy level diagram for carbon (Z=6) with electrons placed in 1s, 2s, and 2p subshells following Hund's rule, showing two unpaired electrons in 2p.

carbonenergy level diagramhund's rule

Prompt templates you can copy

Start with one of these examples, then adapt the subject, labels, data, or layout for your own use.

Electron Configuration Orbital Diagram

Orbital filling diagram with 1s through 3p subshells, each box labeled and filled with spin-up and spin-down arrows per Aufbau and Hund's rules.

Draw an electron configuration orbital diagram showing subshells 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, and 3p stacked vertically on an energy axis. Fill each orbital box with arrows representing electrons (spin-up and spin-down) following Aufbau and Hund's rules for a first-row transition element. Label each subshell. Classic textbook style. White background.

Atomic Energy Levels with Electron Transitions

Four principal energy levels for hydrogen (n=1 to n=4) with upward absorption arrows and downward photon-emission arrows labeled with wavelengths.

Draw an atomic energy level diagram for hydrogen with four horizontal levels labeled n=1 to n=4 on a vertical energy axis. Show upward arrows for electron absorption transitions and downward arrows for photon emission. Label each transition with its energy or series name. Clean textbook style. White background.

Aufbau Orbital Filling Diagram

The Aufbau diagonal filling order from 1s to 5s, with diagonal arrows showing the sequence electrons fill subshells.

Draw an Aufbau principle orbital filling diagram. List subshells (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p) arranged diagonally with arrows showing the correct filling order. Label each subshell and the diagonal direction. Classic chemistry style. White background.

Exothermic Reaction Energy Profile

Reaction coordinate curve for an exothermic reaction with reactants, transition state peak, products, activation energy (Ea), and negative delta H labeled.

Draw a reaction energy profile (potential energy vs reaction coordinate) for an exothermic reaction. Show reactants on the left plateau, a transition state peak, and products at a lower energy level on the right. Label the activation energy (Ea), the enthalpy change (delta H, negative), and the reactants, transition state, and products. Clean chemistry style. White background.

What is an energy level diagram?

An energy level diagram is a visual representation of the discrete energy states that electrons can occupy within an atom, molecule, or during a chemical reaction. In atomic diagrams, horizontal lines stacked on a vertical energy axis represent subshells (1s, 2s, 2p, and so on), and arrows show electrons placed in those shells following the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle. In reaction energy profile diagrams, the same vertical axis tracks the potential energy of a system as it moves along a reaction coordinate, revealing the activation energy and the enthalpy change for exothermic and endothermic reactions. Figviz generates both types from a plain text description, so you get a clean, labeled diagram without drawing by hand.

How to make an energy level diagram

Choose the type: atomic orbital filling, electron transition, or reaction energy profile.

Name the atom or reaction (for example, "carbon atom" or "exothermic combustion reaction").

Specify what you want labeled: subshell names, electron spin arrows, transition wavelengths, activation energy, or delta H.

Pick a style (classic for textbooks, colorful for presentations, minimal for clean prints).

Generate, review the labeled diagram, and refine the prompt if any level or arrow looks off.

Electron configuration diagrams vs reaction energy profiles

Electron configuration diagrams (sometimes called orbital box diagrams) show how electrons are distributed across subshells at a single point in time. They follow three rules: Aufbau (fill lowest energy first), Hund's rule (one electron per orbital before pairing), and the Pauli exclusion principle (no two electrons with the same four quantum numbers). Reaction energy profiles, by contrast, show how the total potential energy of a chemical system changes along the reaction coordinate from reactants to products. The peak of the curve is the transition state, and the height of that peak above the reactants is the activation energy. The net difference between reactants and products is the enthalpy change, delta H, which is negative for exothermic reactions and positive for endothermic ones.

Tips: Aufbau, Hund's rule, and Pauli

Aufbau principle: fill subshells from lowest to highest energy (1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, ...). The diagonal Aufbau chart shows the filling order at a glance.

Hund's rule: within a set of degenerate orbitals (e.g., the three 2p orbitals), place one electron in each before doubling up. Electrons in singly occupied orbitals have parallel spins.

Pauli exclusion principle: each orbital holds at most two electrons, and they must have opposite spins (spin-up and spin-down).

For transition metals, remember that 4s fills before 3d but empties before 3d when forming cations.

For reaction profiles, always label Ea from the reactant plateau to the transition state peak, not from the overall energy floor.

Frequently asked questions

An energy level diagram generator is a tool that creates labeled diagrams of atomic energy states, orbital filling sequences, or reaction energy profiles for you. With Figviz you describe the atom or reaction in plain text and the AI draws the diagram with correctly placed energy levels, electron arrows, and labels in seconds.

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