Question

If an electron is in the second energy level, in which type of orbital(s) could this electron be in?

a) s orbital only
b) p orbitals only
c) s and p orbitals
d) s, p, and d orbitals

Answer 1

An electron in the second energy level could be in an s or p orbital. The second energy level contains one s orbital and three p orbitals but no d orbitals. The d orbitals appear from the third energy level onwards.

Step-by-step explanation:

If an electron is in the second energy level, it can be in either s or p orbitals. This is because the second energy level consists of one s orbital and three p orbitals. The d orbitals are not present in the second energy level; they only begin in the third energy level and beyond.

The second energy level can accommodate a total of eight electrons: two in the s orbital and six in the p orbitals. The s orbital is the lowest in energy within a given energy level, and electrons will fill the s orbital before beginning to fill the p orbitals according to this energy sequence and Hund's rule. Therefore, if we have an electron in the second energy level, it would first occupy the 2s orbital and then any additional electrons would start to occupy the 2p orbitals.1