Question

2943.problem

How many different possible sets of quantum numbers are there for the n = 3 shell?

Answer 1

Each atom inside of an electron has its own 'address' that consists of four quantum numbers

The first quantum number that describes an electron is called the principal quantum number. It is often symbolized by the letter n.

This number tells us the energy level or size of an orbital. The higher the number, the larger the region

So let's take the electron configuration for silicon

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p²

look at the very last electron that was added to silicon. It should be one in the 3p orbital.

here 3 indicates the principal quantum number. So for this electron, n= 3.

The orbital that the last electron is going to be in will be larger than the 2p orbital because it has a higher number.

This means that the 2p electron is more likely to be found closer to the nucleus than the 3p electron.

The 2p electrons are located in the second energy level and the 3p electrons are located in the third energy level.

They will have more energy than the electrons in the 2p orbital’s.

So, for n = 3 quantum number The answer is 4. There are two 3s electrons and two 3p electrons.