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

    • Answer: The 3s orbital is lower in energy than the 4s orbital. Although both are in different shells, the 3s orbital is closer to the nucleus and thus has lower energy.

Related Questions:

  1. Why is an atom electrically neutral?
  2. How many sub-shells are there in the N shell?
  3. Give notation for sub-shells of the M shell.
  4. List the sub-shells of the M shell in order of increasing energy.
  5. The electronic configurations listed below are incorrect. Explain the mistakes in each and write the correct electronic configurations.
  6. Distinguish between shell and sub-shell.
  7. Give two examples of industrial chemistry applications.
  8. Explain the importance of chemistry in medicine, agriculture, and industry with examples.
  9. Discuss the role of geochemistry and astrochemistry in understanding Earth and space.
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  13. Differentiate between a compound and a mixture.
  14. Differentiate between a concentrated and a dilute solution.
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  17. Differentiate between colloids and suspensions.
  18. How can you identify a solvent and a solute?
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