What is the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single orbital?
Practice Questions
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What is the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single orbital?
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A single orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, with opposite spins.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q: What is the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single orbital?
Solution: A single orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, with opposite spins.
Steps: 4
Step 1: Understand what an orbital is. An orbital is a region in an atom where electrons are likely to be found.
Step 2: Know that electrons have a property called 'spin'. This can be thought of as the direction the electron is spinning.
Step 3: Remember that each orbital can hold electrons with opposite spins. This means one electron can spin in one direction, and another can spin in the opposite direction.
Step 4: Conclude that since an orbital can hold 2 electrons with opposite spins, the maximum number of electrons in a single orbital is 2.
