Final answer:
The maximum number of electrons that can occupy a d-subshell is 10. This is calculated using the formula 2(2l + 1) with the angular momentum quantum number 'l' equal to 2 for d-subshells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The maximum number of electrons that can occupy a d-subshell is determined by the formula 2(2l + 1), where 'l' is the angular momentum quantum number. For d-subshells, l equals 2. Plugging this into the formula gives us 2(2*2 + 1) which equals 2(4 + 1) or 2(5), resulting in a maximum of 10 electrons.
Using this equation, we can calculate the maximum number of electrons for other subshells. For instance, an s subshell (where l = 0) can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, as shown in 2(2*0 + 1) = 2, whereas a p subshell (where l = 1) can hold up to 6 electrons, since 2(2*1 + 1) = 6. The maximum number of electrons that can be in a shell is calculated using the formula 2n², where 'n' is the principal quantum number representing the shell.