Final answer:
Each sublevel has a specific number of orbitals: the s sublevel has 1, the p sublevel has 3, the d sublevel has 5, and the f sublevel has 7 orbitals. These accommodate 2, 6, 10, and 14 electrons respectively, following Hund's rules for electron filling.
Step-by-step explanation:
Orbitals in Each Sublevel
The question relates to the number of orbitals found in each sublevel of an atom's electron configuration. In quantum chemistry, we describe electron distribution around an atom's nucleus in terms of principal energy levels and sublevels. The sublevels are designated as s, p, d, and f, each with a different number of orbitals:
The s sublevel has 1 orbital, which can hold up to 2 electrons.
The p sublevel contains 3 orbitals, with a maximum of 6 electrons.
The d sublevel has 5 orbitals, accommodating up to 10 electrons.
The f sublevel consists of 7 orbitals, allowing for 14 electrons.
Following Hund's rules, electrons are added to each sublevel in a way that maximizes their spin alignment before pairing them up. This helps explain the observed patterns in the periodic table, such as why the first period has only 2 elements (1s sublevel filling), and the second and third periods each have 8 elements due to filling of the s and p sublevels. As we move to higher periods, the introduction of d and f sublevels accounts for the increased number of elements within those periods.