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How many orbitals are in the 3p sublevel?

User Alans
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Final answer:

The 3p sublevel has three orbitals, just like any other p sublevel. These orbitals are labeled px, py, and pz and fill according to Hund's rule, where each orbital is singly occupied before any are doubly occupied.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 3p sublevel contains three orbitals. Each p sublevel, irrespective of the principal quantum number (n), consists of three orbitals. Therefore, the 3p, just like the 2p sublevel, has three orbitals. The p orbitals are denoted as px, py, and pz, and they are degenerate, meaning they have the same energy level when in the same principal shell. These orbitals fill according to Hund's rule, which states that every orbital in a subshell is singly occupied with an electron before any orbital is doubly occupied. This rule ensures that electrons fill the orbitals in a way to minimize electron-electron repulsion within an atom.

User Diego Palomar
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