Atomic Orbitals and Electron Configurations

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Questions and Answers

What happens to energy as wavelength increases?

Energy increases.

Energy becomes unpredictable.

Energy remains constant.

Energy decreases. (correct)

Which type of radiation has the shortest wavelengths?

Gamma rays (correct)

Visible light

Radio waves

Microwaves

What defines a line spectrum?

It represents thermal radiation.

It shows a blend of colors.

It contains continuous light.

It has only discrete lines. (correct)

Which of the following statements about frequency is true?

Frequency determines the color of visible light. Signup and view all the answers

What portion of the electromagnetic spectrum does visible light occupy?

A very small portion. Signup and view all the answers

How is the electromagnetic spectrum generally arranged?

By frequency from low to high. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between wavelength and frequency?

As wavelength increases, frequency decreases. Signup and view all the answers

What role do emission spectra play in atomic models?

They provide insights into the arrangement of electrons. Signup and view all the answers

Which orbital designation is NOT considered legitimate?

1p Signup and view all the answers

What does an electron configuration denote?

The arrangement of electrons in an atom's orbitals Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by the superscript in an electron configuration?

The number of electrons in the sublevel Signup and view all the answers

In an orbital diagram, how are paired electrons represented?

With an arrow pointed up and another arrow pointed down Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of quantum mechanics (QM) in relation to atomic orbitals?

To predict the probability of finding an electron in a specific region. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following shapes is correctly associated with the f orbitals?

Complex and multi-lobed Signup and view all the answers

How many sublevels are present in the principal energy level when n = 3?

4 sublevels. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about electron spin is accurate?

Electrons spin like tops on a vertical axis with two possible directions Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about atomic orbitals is true?

An atomic orbital can contain a maximum of two electrons. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes orbital energy levels?

They dictate the arrangement of electrons in orbitals Signup and view all the answers

Which sublevel can be occupied at the principal quantum number n=3?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

Which sublevel corresponds to the principal quantum number n = 2?

s and p. Signup and view all the answers

What does an electron density map represent?

The probability of finding electrons within certain regions of an atom. Signup and view all the answers

What did Niels Bohr utilize to conceive his atomic model?

The line spectrum of hydrogen Signup and view all the answers

What is the lowest energy level of an electron in a hydrogen atom according to the Bohr model?

n = 1 Signup and view all the answers

What occurs when a hydrogen atom absorbs energy?

An electron moves to a higher-energy orbit Signup and view all the answers

What is the main limitation of the Bohr model when it comes to multiple electron atoms?

It only accounts for electrons in circular orbits Signup and view all the answers

What does the quantum mechanical model define instead of specific electron locations?

Regions of space called orbitals Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic of orbitals differentiates the quantum mechanical model from the Bohr model?

Orbitals can have various shapes Signup and view all the answers

What happens when an electron relaxes back to a lower-energy orbit?

It releases a photon of light Signup and view all the answers

What quantum mechanical concept conflicts with the idea of fixed electron orbits?

Probabilistic electron distributions Signup and view all the answers

What type of ion is formed when an atom loses one or more electrons?

A cation Signup and view all the answers

Which trend is observed for an atom regarding electron loss and gain across a period in the periodic table?

Atoms at the far right gain electrons most easily. Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used for atoms that achieve a noble gas electron configuration?

Isoelectronic Signup and view all the answers

What charge does an atom acquire when it gains one or more electrons?

Negative Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly identifies an atom maintaining equal numbers of protons and electrons?

A neutral atom Signup and view all the answers

In terms of charge, how does an atom become a cation?

By losing electrons Signup and view all the answers

Which process is primarily involved in an atom achieving isoelectronic status?

Electron transfer Signup and view all the answers

What can be predicted about the ions formed by main-group elements according to the content?

They will lose or gain electrons to achieve noble gas configurations. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Atomic Orbitals

The shapes of f orbitals are highly complex.
Atomic orbital energy levels are more complex for multi-electron atoms.
The sub-level designation 1p is not a legitimate designation because the principal quantum number, n, cannot be equal to 1 for a p sub-level.
Sub-Level Designation 2s, 3f, and 4p are legitimate.

Electron Configurations

The behavior of an atom depends on its electron configuration, which describes the specific arrangement of electrons within the atom's orbitals.
Electron configurations are written as a series of numbers and letters indicating occupied energy sublevels, with the superscript indicating the number of electrons in the sublevel.

Orbital Diagrams

An orbital diagram uses a square box to represent each orbital, which is labelled with the n value and s, p, d, or f designation.
Orbital diagrams also use arrows to represent each electron.
The first electron in an orbital is usually represented with an arrow pointing upward. The second electron in an orbital must point downward.

Nature of Light

Wavelength (λ) is the distance between identical points on consecutive waves, such as the distance between two crests.
Frequency (ν) is the number of waves that pass through a particular point in one second.
As wavelength increases, energy decreases, and as frequency increases, energy increases.
The electromagnetic spectrum arranges all types of electromagnetic radiation (light), from gamma rays, which have the shortest wavelengths, to radio waves, which have the longest wavelengths.
Line Spectra are emission spectra that are not continuous, but contain only discrete lines.
The line spectra of elements are critical to developing our understanding of atomic models.

The Bohr Atom

Photons, tiny discrete packets of light, were used by Danish physicist Niels Bohr to create a model of the atom, which is now known as the Bohr atom, in conjunction with the line spectrum of hydrogen.
The concentric circular paths around the nucleus in Bohr's model are called orbits, and each orbit is at a specific energy level designated by a quantum number, n.
The electron in the hydrogen atom resides at the lowest possible energy level (n = 1), called the ground state.
The Bohr model explained the observed line spectra of hydrogen but failed to explain the spectra of any other elements.

Quantum Mechanical Model

The quantum mechanical (QM) model replaced the Bohr model.
The QM model does not define the location of an electron, instead, it defines a region of space called an orbital where an electron is most likely to be found.
QM orbitals vary in shape, as opposed to Bohr's orbits, which were all circular and only varied in size.

Electron Density Map

Probability density maps for electrons can be calculated using the mathematics of QM, creating a visual representation called an atomic orbital.

Electron Configuration and Periodic Trends

The number of energy sublevels in each principal energy level, n, is equal to the principal quantum number.
The number of orbitals contained in each sublevel is equal to 2l + 1.
Each orbital can contain a maximum of two electrons.
Elements in the same group (column) of the periodic table have the same number of valence electrons.
Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom.

Ions

An ion is an atom in which the number of electrons is not equal to the number of protons.
Cations are atoms that have lost one or more electrons and become positively charged.
Anions are atoms that have gained one or more electrons and become negatively charged.
Atoms of main-group elements will lose or gain electrons to achieve a noble gas electron configuration - This is referred to as being isoelectronic.
The loss or gain of electrons allows predictions of the ion's charge.

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Description

This quiz explores the concepts of atomic orbitals, electron configurations, and orbital diagrams. You will learn about the legitimacy of sub-level designations and how to interpret electron arrangements within atoms. Test your understanding of these fundamental principles in atomic structure.