If the azimuthal quantum number l = 1, what is the shape of the orbital?
Practice Questions
Q1
If the azimuthal quantum number l = 1, what is the shape of the orbital?
Spherical
Dumbbell
Double dumbbell
None of the above
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
If the azimuthal quantum number l = 1, what is the shape of the orbital?
Step 1: Understand what the azimuthal quantum number (l) represents. It describes the shape of an electron orbital.
Step 2: Know that the value of l can be 0, 1, 2, etc., and each value corresponds to a specific type of orbital.
Step 3: Identify that when l = 0, the orbital is an s orbital (spherical shape).
Step 4: Recognize that when l = 1, the orbital is a p orbital.
Step 5: Learn that p orbitals have a dumbbell shape, which means they look like two balloons tied together at the center.
Azimuthal Quantum Number – The azimuthal quantum number (l) determines the shape of an electron orbital, with l = 0 corresponding to s orbitals, l = 1 to p orbitals, l = 2 to d orbitals, and l = 3 to f orbitals.
Orbital Shapes – Different values of the azimuthal quantum number correspond to specific shapes of orbitals, which are crucial for understanding electron configurations and chemical bonding.