Which orbital in each of the following pairs is lower in energy?
(a) 2s, 2p Answer: The 2s orbital is lower in energy than the 2p orbital. Generally, s orbitals have lower energy than p orbitals in the same shell. (b) 3p, 2p Answer: The 2p orbital is lower in energy than the 3p orbital. Higher principal quantum numbers correspond to higher energy levels. (c) 3s, 4s … Read more