Multiple Choice
Roughly what percentage of an atom's volume is occupied by its nucleus?
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2. Atoms & Elements
The Atom
Multiple Choice
What is the maximum number of electrons that can be contained within the n = 2 shell of an atom?
A
2
B
8
C
18
D
4
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall that the principal quantum number \(n\) defines the shell or energy level of an electron in an atom. For \(n = 2\), we are looking at the second shell.
Determine the possible subshells within the \(n = 2\) shell. The azimuthal quantum number \(l\) can take values from \$0\( to \)n-1\(, so for \)n=2\(, \)l\( can be \)0\( (the 2s subshell) or \)1$ (the 2p subshell).
Calculate the number of orbitals in each subshell. The number of orbitals for a given \(l\) is \$2l + 1\(. For \)l=0\( (2s), there is \)1\( orbital; for \)l=1\( (2p), there are \)3$ orbitals.
Sum the total number of orbitals in the \(n=2\) shell: \$1\( (from 2s) \)+\( \)3\( (from 2p) \)= 4$ orbitals.
Since each orbital can hold a maximum of \$2\( electrons (due to the two possible spin states), multiply the total orbitals by \)2$ to find the maximum number of electrons: \(4 \times 2 = 8\) electrons.
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