Question

For a given value of n, what are the allowed values of l ?

Short answer

The allowed values of l are:

\(l = 0,\;1,\;2, \ldots ,\;n - 1\)

Step-by-step solution

Definition of quantum numbers

The position and the level of energy in the atom can be described by a particular number set that is unique to that atom. The particular number set is called quantum number set. This set contains the number that are called principal, azimuthal, magnetic, and spin.

Explanation for the question

For a given n, the allowed values of l are integers ranging from zero to n - 1 in one-step increments:

\(l = 0,\;1,\;2, \ldots ,\;n - 1\)

For example, if n = 3, l can be either 0 or 2.