Multiple Choice
Roughly what percentage of an atom's volume is occupied by its nucleus?
1
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2. Atoms & Elements
The Atom
Multiple Choice
What is the maximum number of electrons that can be contained within the n = 2 shell of an atom?
A
2
B
8
C
18
D
4
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall that the principal quantum number \(n\) defines the shell or energy level of an electron in an atom. For \(n = 2\), we are looking at the second shell.
Determine the possible subshells within the \(n = 2\) shell. The azimuthal quantum number \(l\) can take values from \(0\) to \(n-1\), so for \(n=2\), \(l\) can be \(0\) (the 2s subshell) or \(1\) (the 2p subshell).
Calculate the number of orbitals in each subshell. The number of orbitals for a given \(l\) is \(2l + 1\). For \(l=0\) (2s), there is \(1\) orbital; for \(l=1\) (2p), there are \(3\) orbitals.
Sum the total number of orbitals in the \(n=2\) shell: \(1\) (from 2s) \(+\) \(3\) (from 2p) \(= 4\) orbitals.
Since each orbital can hold a maximum of \(2\) electrons (due to the two possible spin states), multiply the total orbitals by \(2\) to find the maximum number of electrons: \(4 \times 2 = 8\) electrons.
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