What is the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single p orbital?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single p orbital in atomic structure, which relates to quantum mechanics and electron configurations.
Answer
2 electrons
The maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single p orbital is 2.
Answer for screen readers
The maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single p orbital is 2.
More Information
Each p sublevel consists of three p orbitals. Each of these orbitals can accommodate up to two electrons due to the Pauli Exclusion Principle, resulting in a total of six electrons in the entire p sublevel.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse the number of electrons in a single p orbital with the total number of electrons in the entire p sublevel. Remember, each p orbital can only hold two electrons, but the entire p sublevel with its three orbitals can hold six electrons.
Sources
- A p-orbital can accommodate a maximum of electrons - Doubtnut - doubtnut.com
- How many electrons can there be in a p orbital? - Socratic - socratic.org
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