Question

Why does an electron found in a 2s orbital have a lower energy than an electron found in a 2p orbital in multielectron systems?

ANSWER:

a. There are more nodes found in the 2s orbital.
b. Electrons in the 2s orbital are shielded by electrons in the 2p.
c. The larger number of electrons found in the 2p orbital leads to greater repulsion.
d. The shape of the orbital ultimately determines the energy of the electrons.
e. Electrons in the 2s orbital can penetrate the 1s orbital and be closer to the nucleus .

Answer 1

The energy of atomic orbitals increases as the principal quantum number, n, increases. Electrons in orbitals that experience more shielding are less stabilized and thus higher in energy. The shape of the orbital ultimately determines the energy of the electrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

The energy of atomic orbitals increases as the principal quantum number, n, increases. In any atom with two or more electrons, the repulsion between the electrons makes energies of subshells with different values of 1 differ so that the energy of the orbitals increases within a shell in the order s < p < d < f.

Electrons in orbitals that experience more shielding are less stabilized and thus higher in energy. This is because electrons that are closer to the nucleus slightly repel electrons that are farther out, offsetting the more dominant electron-nucleus attractions slightly. Furthermore, electrons in the 2s orbital can penetrate the 1s orbital and be closer to the nucleus, which contributes to their lower energy compared to electrons in the 2p orbital.

The shape of the orbital ultimately determines the energy of the electrons. For example, a 1s electron has greater electron density near the nucleus than a 2p electron, leading to a lower energy for the 1s electron.