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How many electrons can each of the following orbitals hold?

a. 2s =
b. 3p =
c. Sf =
d. 6d =
e. 4p =
f. 3d =

User Charmane
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Each orbital type has a fixed number of electrons it can hold: an s orbital holds 2, a p orbital holds 6, a d orbital holds 10, and an f orbital holds 14 electrons. Hence, the 2s, 3p, 5f, 6d, 4p, and 3d orbitals can hold 2, 6, 14, 10, 6, and 10 electrons, respectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

The number of electrons each orbital can hold is determined by the type of subshell (s, p, d, f) it belongs to. Here are the answers for the number of electrons each of the listed orbitals can hold:

  • 2s = 2 electrons
  • 3p = 6 electrons
  • 5f = 14 electrons
  • 6d = 10 electrons
  • 4p = 6 electrons
  • 3d = 10 electrons

These capacities are based on the rules that an s orbital can hold 2 electrons, a p orbital can hold 6 electrons (2 electrons in each of its 3 orbitals), a d orbital can hold 10 electrons (2 electrons in each of its 5 orbitals), and an f orbital can hold 14 electrons (2 electrons in each of its 7 orbitals).

User James Elegan
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