In which of the following orbitals would an electron have the highest energy?

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Question: In which of the following orbitals would an electron have the highest energy?

Options:

Correct Answer: 3s

Solution:

The 3s orbital has the highest principal quantum number (n=3), indicating it has the highest energy.

In which of the following orbitals would an electron have the highest energy?

In which of the following orbitals would an electron have the highest energy?

Step 1: Understand what an orbital is. An orbital is a region in an atom where there is a high probability of finding an electron.
Step 2: Learn about the principal quantum number (n). This number indicates the energy level of the electron and how far it is from the nucleus.
Step 3: Identify the principal quantum numbers for the given orbitals. For example, the 3s orbital has n=3.
Step 4: Compare the principal quantum numbers of the orbitals. The higher the number, the higher the energy.
Step 5: Conclude that since the 3s orbital has the highest principal quantum number (n=3), it has the highest energy among the options.

Principal Quantum Number – The principal quantum number (n) indicates the energy level of an electron in an atom, with higher values corresponding to higher energy levels.
Orbital Types – Different types of orbitals (s, p, d, f) have different shapes and energy levels, with s orbitals generally being lower in energy than p, d, and f orbitals at the same principal quantum number.