Final answer:
The 5p state of a hydrogen atom refers to an electron in the fifth energy level occupying a p-orbital. Quantum numbers for this state are n=5, l=1, and m can be -1, 0, or 1. The appearance of this state is characterized by a 'dum-bbell' shaped probability density for the electron's location.
Step-by-step explanation:
A hydrogen atom in the 5p state has an electron that has been excited to the fifth energy level (shell). The 'p' in 5p indicates the type of orbital the electron occupies, which is a p-orbital. In quantum mechanics, the state of an electron in an atom is defined by a set of quantum numbers: principally n (principal quantum number), l (angular momentum quantum number), m (magnetic quantum number), and s (spin quantum number). For a 5p state, n=5 and l=1, with m having possible values of -1, 0, or 1. Each of these values of m represents a different 5p orbital, which differ in their orientation in space. Electrons in p orbitals have a 'dum-bbell' shaped probability density, which means the likelihood of finding the electron at any point forms a two-lobed shape aligned along the p orbital's particular spatial orientation. The 5p state is a higher-energy state than the ground state of hydrogen, which is the 1s state. The actual appearance of the hydrogen atom is different from the illustrations meant to visualize its structure; for instance, the electron cloud is based on probability rather than a specific path.