In: Chemistry
Paired electrons cancel each other’s magnetic fields. Why can’t unpaired electrons have opposite spins and cancel each other’s magnetic fields also?
As per the Pauli Exclusion principle in any atom no two electrons can have the same four quantum numbers, and an orbital can occupy maximum two e- . So the two electron must have opposite spins. i.e. +M(+1/2) and -M (-1/2)
So they ultimatly cancels their magnetic fields.
* As you asked that unpaired electrons can be field in opposite direction and can cancel their magnetic field, their are following reasons which explain why it can not happen-
1. Symmetrical Distribution enhance stability, that's why the half filled and full filled subshells have more stabilty.
2. Energy Exchange- the electrons tend to exchange their position, so the engery is released due to their position exchange called exchanged energy.
* So as per Hund's rule the electron which enter equal enery orbitals have parallel spin and same spin electron have more exchanged energy.
3. Less coulombic repulsion.