Atomic Orbitals and Sublevels

Definition

• Atomic Orbital: A region of space with a high probability of finding an electron.

Orbital Shapes

• s Orbitals: Spherical shape
  • Examples: 1s orbital, 2s orbital
• p Orbitals: Dumbbell-shaped
  • Orientation: Three p orbitals labeled as px, py, and pz, oriented at 90 degrees to each other.

Sublevels

• Each principal energy level is divided into sublevels.

Principal Energy Levels and Their Sublevels

• n = 1
  • Sublevel: 1s
  • Total Orbitals: 1
  • Total Electrons: 2
• n = 2
  • Sublevels: 2s, 2p
  • Total Orbitals: 4
  • Total Electrons: 8
• n = 3
  • Sublevels: 3s, 3p, 3d
  • Total Orbitals: 9
  • Total Electrons: 18
• n = 4
  • Sublevels: 4s, 4p, 4d, 4f
  • Total Orbitals: 16
  • Total Electrons: 32

Energy Levels

• Sublevels are arranged in order of increasing energy.
  • Lowest energy sublevel: s
  • Highest energy sublevel: f
• Example: In n = 4, 4s is lower energy than 4f.

Summary Table of Principal Energy Levels:

• n = 1: 1 sublevel, 1 orbital, max 2 electrons
• n = 2: 2 sublevels (2s, 2p), 4 orbitals, max 8 electrons
• n = 3: 3 sublevels (3s, 3p, 3d), 9 orbitals, max 18 electrons
• n = 4: 4 sublevels (4s, 4p, 4d, 4f), 16 orbitals, max 32 electrons

Next Steps

• The next video will cover the order of filling these atomic orbitals with electrons.