Multiple Choice
What are the possible values of the magnetic quantum number (m_l) for an electron in a d orbital?
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9. Quantum Mechanics
Quantum Numbers: Magnetic Quantum Number
Multiple Choice
Determine the number of electrons that can have the magnetic quantum number ml = -1 in an atom with the principal quantum number n = 3.
A
4
B
2
C
6
D
8
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the possible values for the azimuthal quantum number (l) when the principal quantum number (n) is 3. The values of l range from 0 to n-1, so l can be 0, 1, or 2.
For each value of l, determine the possible values of the magnetic quantum number (ml). The values of ml range from -l to +l, including zero.
For l = 0, ml can only be 0. For l = 1, ml can be -1, 0, or +1. For l = 2, ml can be -2, -1, 0, +1, or +2.
Identify which values of l allow ml to be -1. Both l = 1 and l = 2 allow ml = -1.
Determine the number of electrons that can occupy each orbital with ml = -1. Each orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, so there are 2 electrons for each ml = -1 orbital.
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