Energy Levels in an atom
• The allowed energy levels within which an electron has
definite energy values are designated by four quantum
numbers
1. Principal quantum number (n) and also by letters K to
P
quantum no (n) = 1 2 3 4 5 6
shell
=K
L M N O P
• The maximum number of electrons in a particular shell,
is equal to 2n2
• For example, within the L-shell (n=2), the maximum no
of e- = 2 (2)2 =8 electrons
2. Angular momentum/azimuthal quantum number (l )
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divides the shells into subshell which are further
divided into orbitals
It describes the shape of the orbitals in which
electrons are found
The minimum value of l is 0, while the maximum
value is n-1(l = 0,1,2,…., n-1)
Each value of l corresponds to a particular subshell
s, p, d, f,___, respectively.
The maximum number of electron that is allowed
in a subshell is given by 2(2l + 1)
The s subshell (with l =0 )can therefore contain
2(2×0+1) electrons = 2 electrons
The f shell (with l =3 ) will have a maximum of
2(2×3+1) electrons=14 electrons
3. Magnetic quantum number (ml or m)
• This quantum number arises to differentiate the
orbitals that are available in a subshell
• When these orbitals are exposed to strong magnetic
field, orbitals which are degenerate i.e. have the same
energy level become non-degenerate i.e have different
energies
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ml ranges from –l , ___, 0, ___, +l
The ml of the s subshell (l =0) is 0 (it has only one
orbital)
For p subshell (l =1), ml is -1, 0, or +1 (has three
orbitals)
For d subshell (l =2) has five orbitals,
ml = -2, -1, 0, +1 or +2
4. Spin quantum number (ms or s )
• Describes the orbital angular momentum of an
electron.
• An electron spins around an axis and has both
angular momentum and orbital angular
momentum
• Because angular momentum is a vector, the Spin
quantum number (s) has both a magnitude (½)
and direction (+ or -)
Each atomic orbital can admit only two identical
electrons with opposite spin
Pauli exclusion principle
• The numbers of electrons that can occupy each
shell and each sub-shell arise from equations of
quantum mechanics
•
One of such is Pauli exclusion principle
It states that no two electrons in the same atom
can have the same values for the four quantum
numbers
pg 18
How many subshells, orbitals and electrons are
contained within the principal shell with n=4?
Solution
A. Given n=4, l can have values from 0 to n-1
l=0,1,2 and 3 (four subshells ≡ s, p, d, f)
B. l =0, ml =0:
1 orbital
l =1, ml = -1, 0, +1:
3 orbitals
l =2, ml = -2, -1, 0, +1, +2:
5 orbitals
l =3, ml = -3, -2, -1, 0,+1,+2,+3: 7 orbitals
• Total
= 16 orbitals
• Total number of electrons = 2n2 =2(4)2
=2x16=32 electrons
Filling electrons into subshells and
orbitals
• According to Aufbau principle, (German
word meaning construction or building
up), electrons orbiting an atom fill
subshell/orbitals in order of increasing
orbital energy
• The lowest energy subshell are filled before
electrons are placed in higher energy subshell:
s<p<d<f
• A maximum of two electrons can occupy a
given orbital
• Where the available orbitals are
Energies of orbitals
Fitting electrons into orbitals
