Question

If an atom has three electrons in a p sublevel, where will the electrons be found?

1. 2 in the same orbital and 1 in a different orbital
2. none of these
3. in 3 different orbitals
4. in the same orbital

Answer 1

4. in the same orbital

Step-by-step explanation:

There are four sublevel s, p, d, and f. There can be two electrons maximum in one orbital and the p sublevel has 3 orbitals, so it can carry six electrons maximum (two in each orbital).

So, If an atom has three electrons in a p sublevel, all three electrons will be present in the p sublevel as it can hold maximum of 6 electrons.

Hence, the correct answer is "4. in the same orbital ".