Chapter 6: Problem 79
Determine the maximum number of electrons that can be found in each of the following subshells: \(3 s, 3 d, 4 p\), \(4 f, 5 f\).
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Atomic Orbitals
These orbitals are defined by quantum numbers, which are a set of values that describe the energy, shape, size, and orientation of the orbital.
- The most common types of orbitals are represented by the letters s, p, d, and f.
- s orbitals are spherical.
- p orbitals are dumbbell-shaped.
- d and f orbitals have more complex shapes.
Electron Capacity
Here’s a simple way to remember:
- The 's' subshell has 1 orbital, holding up to 2 electrons.
- The 'p' subshell has 3 orbitals, able to accommodate up to 6 electrons.
- The 'd' subshell contains 5 orbitals, with a capacity of 10 electrons.
- The 'f' subshell has 7 orbitals, supporting up to 14 electrons.
Subshells
Here’s how subshells break down:
- The first electron shell (n = 1) only has an 's' subshell.
- The second shell (n = 2) has 's' and 'p' subshells.
- The third shell (n = 3) includes 's', 'p', and 'd' subshells.
- The fourth and higher shells (n ≥ 4) contain 's', 'p', 'd', and 'f' subshells.
Quantum Mechanics
In quantum mechanics, electrons exhibit both particle-like and wave-like properties, which means:
- The exact location of an electron cannot be determined, only the probability of finding an electron in a specific region.
- Electrons fill orbitals in a way that minimizes the atom's energy, known as the Aufbau principle.
- Pauli's exclusion principle states that no two electrons in an atom can have the same set of quantum numbers.
- Hund's rule asserts that electrons will fill an unoccupied orbital before they pair up in an occupied one.