Question

Which of the subshells described in the previous question contain degenerate orbitals? How many degenerate orbitals are in each?

a) 3p; 3
b) 4d; 5
c) 2s; 1
d) 3d; 3

Answer 1

In Chemistry, degenerate orbitals within a subshell have the same energy. The 3p subshell has 3 degenerate orbitals, the 4d subshell has 5 degenerate orbitals, the 2s subshell has 1 (non-degenerate), and the 3d subshell also has 5 degenerate orbitals.

Step-by-step explanation:

Subshells with the same principal quantum number (n) and angular quantum number (l) have degenerate orbitals, meaning they have the same energy. The number of degenerate orbitals in a subshell depends on the type of subshell:

• 3p: This subshell has 3 degenerate orbitals (3px, 3py, 3pz).
• 4d: This subshell has 5 degenerate orbitals.
• 2s: This subshell has only 1 orbital, so it is not degenerate with others.
• 3d: Like the 4d subshell, this subshell has 5 degenerate orbitals, not 3 as suggested in the question.