Question

for the 1s orbital, the negative charge is most near the nucleus and with increasing distance from the nucleus

Answer 1

The 1s orbital refers to the most inner orbital of an atom, where electrons are closest to the nucleus and the most stable due to the strong electrostatic attraction with the positive nuclear charge. As the nuclear charge increases, the energy and radius of the orbital decrease, leading to greater stability in this orbital. Higher energy orbitals with greater principal quantum numbers contain less stable, more shielded electrons, which are located farther from the nucleus.

Step-by-step explanation:

In chemistry, when we discuss the 1s orbital, we are referring to the closest orbital to the nucleus in an atom where the negative charge, represented by electrons, is most concentrated. As the nuclear charge (+Z charge) increases, both energy and radius of the orbital decrease, resulting in the most stable orbitals being those nearest to the nucleus. Electrons in the 1s orbital are at a lower energy state compared to those in higher orbitals; for example, in a hydrogen atom, the ground state has the electron in the 1s orbital, whereas in an excited state, the electron moves to a higher energy level such as n = 2 orbitals.

It is important to note that electrons in orbitals farther away from the nucleus are less stabilized because they experience more shielding, a phenomenon where the inner electrons partially block the attraction of the nucleus for the outer electrons, thus increasing their energy. The tendency of electrons to fill low-energy orbitals first is observed across the periodic table, leading to a filling order that maximizes the stability of atoms and ions. Overall, the 1s orbital is the most tightly bound to the nucleus, and as electrons occupy higher energy orbitals (with higher principal quantum number, n), they are less tightly bound and found at greater distances from the nucleus.

Answer 2

The 1s orbital is the most stable orbital because it is closest to the nucleus, where electrons are highly attracted to the positive charges in the nucleus. As the distance from the nucleus increases with higher principal quantum numbers, the orbital's energy increases due to reduced nuclear attraction and electron shielding effects.

Step-by-step explanation:

The 1s orbital is the closest orbital to the nucleus in an atom and, as such, electrons within this orbital experience a strong electrostatic attraction to the positively charged nucleus. In essence, the closer an electron is to the nucleus, the lower the energy of the orbital and the more stable it is. This is due to the negative charge of electrons being attracted to the positive charge of the nucleus, which is characterized by the atomic number, represented as Z. As electrons occupy orbitals with increasing principal quantum number, n, such as the 2s or 2p orbitals, they are further from the nucleus and thus are higher in energy due to decreased nuclear attraction. Additionally, factors like electron shielding and orbital penetration affect energy levels within the same principal shell. Shielding occurs because electrons in lower energy orbitals can partially offset the nucleus' pull on electrons in higher energy orbitals, making these electrons less stable and increasing their energy.