Question

When given the max. number of electrons and asks for the amount of orbitals that the energy level has:

A) The number of orbitals is always equal to the maximum number of electrons in that energy level.
B) The number of orbitals is twice the maximum number of electrons in that energy level.
C) The number of orbitals is equal to the maximum number of electrons divided by 2.
D) The number of orbitals depends on the specific energy level and is calculated using the formula 2n^2, where 'n' is the principal quantum number of the energy level.

Answer 1

Energy level III, which can hold a maximum of 18 electrons, has nine orbitals because each orbital can hold two electrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

When trying to determine how many orbitals are in an energy level, it is important to remember that each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons. Given that energy level III can hold a maximum of 18 electrons, to calculate the number of orbitals, you would divide the number of electrons by two (since each orbital can hold two electrons). This tells us that for energy level III, there must be nine orbitals. This fits with the knowledge that the number of orbitals in any shell 'n' is equal to n². An energy level of n equals 3 would therefore have 3², or 9, orbitals.