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What is the key difference between an orbital and an energy level?

A) Energy levels can be made up of multiple orbitals and each orbital can hold up to 2 electrons.
B) Energy level and orbital are different names for the same concept.
C) Orbitals can be made up of multiple energy levels and each energy level can hold up to 2 electrons.
D) None of the above

User Pax
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The key difference between an orbital and an energy level is that an energy level can be made up of multiple orbitals, with each orbital being able to hold up to 2 electrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

The key difference between an orbital and an energy level is that while an energy level can be made up of multiple orbitals, each orbital can hold up to 2 electrons. So option A is the correct answer. An energy level refers to the different allowed energy states that electrons can occupy in an atom, while an orbital refers to the specific region or space where an electron is most likely to be found. Each energy level can have different numbers of orbitals based on their subshells and each orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons.

User Diann
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