How to figure out what the ground-state electron configuration is?

Electron configuration is how the electrons are distributed across s, p, d, and f orbitals and what shell they are in from the nucleus. For example, Se (Selenium) has electron configuration 1s2, 2s2, 2p6, 3s2, 3p6, 4s2, 3d10, 4p4... I was not sure exactly what you were asking. And redbeardthegiant is absolutely correct in that ground-state is filling the lowest orbitals first such that the atom is not in its excited state. It's been awhile since I've had to deal with this terminology. This would mean that the electrons would fill the 1s first followed by 2s and 2p... etc. And what I meant by "you should be learning this in class" is that if you don't already know about how orbitals are filled than you should be learning it eventually. I didn't mean it like "Oh, why don't you know this. Didn't you learn about it in class?" Also, what do you mean by "finding the one with the lowest sum"? Finding the what with the lowest sum? I don't mean to sound rude at all, I'm just trying to help but I need a clearer question before I can.

Salve errs in that ground state is not about charge, it is about all of the electrons being in the lowest set of orbitals allowed by the Pauli exclusion principal. THe alternative to ground state is excited state [of which there are many]. Ions can have ground and excited states, as can neutral atoms and molecules. I am not exactly sure what Daniel is saying, but the excited state is when an electron has been moved from one of the orbitals occupied in the ground state to a higher, previously unfilled, orbital See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_configuration "ground state is closest to the nucleus" is not precisely true; say instead that "Ground state is the condition where an atom [or molecule's] electrons are in distributed amongst the various orbitals in the configuration which has the lowest total energy". In general, the ground state will have the electrons closer to the nucleus. "I'm asking, does adding the electrons and finding the one with the lowest sum equal the ground-state electron configuration. " - I am not sure I follow your question, but here's the answer to what I think you are asking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Electron_orbitals.svg Look at the left hand drawing. Count up the number of electrons your atom [or ion] has, then start filling from the top, following the arrows. At the lower left, each arrow has a curlicue, which means go to the top right of the next arrow down.

I think that is correct. The electrons with the highest total are the ones in the excited state.

Salve errs in that ground state is not about charge, it is about all of the electrons being in the lowest set of orbitals allowed by the Pauli exclusion principal. THe alternative to ground state is excited state [of which there are many]. Ions can have ground and excited states, as can neutral atoms and molecules. I am not exactly sure what Daniel is saying, but the excited state is when an electron has been moved from one of the orbitals occupied in the ground state to a higher, previously unfilled, orbital See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_configuration "ground state is closest to the nucleus" is not precisely true; say instead that "Ground state is the condition where an atom [or molecule's] electrons are in distributed amongst the various orbitals in the configuration which has the lowest total energy". In general, the ground state will have the electrons closer to the nucleus. "I'm asking, does adding the electrons and finding the one with the lowest sum equal the ground-state electron configuration. " - I am not sure I follow your question, but here's the answer to what I think you are asking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Electron_orbitals.svg Look at the left hand drawing. Count up the number of electrons your atom [or ion] has, then start filling from the top, following the arrows. At the lower left, each arrow has a curlicue, which means go to the top right of the next arrow down.

I think that is correct. The electrons with the highest total are the ones in the excited state.