Topic : Chemistry Assignment (Chem- 1207)
Assignment: Types of Electrons
Introduction to Electrons :
Electrons are subatomic particles that play a fundamental role in the
structure of matter. They are negatively charged particles found in all
atoms, and their behavior and arrangement determine the chemical and
physical properties of elements and compounds. The study of electrons
is crucial in various branches of science, including chemistry, physics,
and electronics.
Electrons can be classified based on quantum numbers, which describe
their energy levels, angular momentum, magnetic orientation, and spin.
The four quantum numbers are:
[Link]-Quantum-Number(n):-
This quantum number determines the energy level or shell of an
electron. It has positive integer values (). Higher values of correspond to
electrons farther from the nucleus and higher energy. K, L, M shell.
2. Azimuthal Quantam Number(l) :-
Also known as the angular momentum quantum number, determines the
shape of the orbital where an electron is likely to be found. It takes
integer values from 0 to .
Orbital shapes corresponding to :
: s-orbital (spherical)
: p-orbital (dumbbell-shaped)
: d-orbital (clover-shaped)
: f-orbital (complex shapes)
These are the common types of electron.
3. Magnetic Quantum Number(m) :-
This quantum number determines the orientation of the orbital in space.
It can take integer values from to , including zero. For example:
For (p-orbital): (three orientations)
For (d-orbital): (five orientations)
4. Spin Quantum Number(s) :-
The spin quantum number describes the intrinsic spin of an electron. It
can take two values: (spin-up) or (spin-down). It can be +1/2 or -1/2.
Value of l Electron Symbol Maximum number of
electrons of each type
0 s 2
1 p 6
2 d 10
3 f 14
The letters s, p, d, thus represents the possibe sub-levels in addition to
principal quantam numbers. For instance, an electron having n = 1 and l
= 2 is designated as 1s electron.
Each electron orbital can accomodate a maximum of two electrons of
opposite spins. Thus 1s orbital can hold a maximum of two [Link]
p orbital can hold a maximum of 6 electrons.
Principal Quamtum Maximum number of Number of electron
Number electrons distributed in orbitals
1 2 1s2
2 8 2s22p6
3 18 3s23p63d10
4 32 4s24p64d104f14
5 32 5s25p65d105f14
Fig- Electron distribution in orbitals.
Thus the maximum number if electrons which the different
types of atomic orbitals can accommodate are:
Sub-lebel Number of orbitals Total number of
electrons
s 1 2
p 3 6
d 5 10
f 7 14
Questions :-
1. What are quantum numbers, and why are they important?
2. Define the four types of quantum numbers.
3. How does the principal quantum number affect the energy of
an electron?
4. What does the azimuthal quantum number represent, and how
is it related to the orbital shape?
5. How many orbitals are possible when ? Explain your
reasoning.
6. Explain why no two electrons in an atom can have the same
set of quantum numbers (Pauli Exclusion Principle).
7. Given , list all possible combinations of , , and for electrons.
8. Calculate the total number of electrons that can occupy the
shell, and explain the process.
9. What are the quantum numbers for the last electron in a
chlorine atom ?
10. How do quantum numbers explain the periodic trends in
the periodic table?
11. Design a quantum number chart for an atom with and
describe its electron configuration.
