How many degenerate orbitals have the following name?

2s 3p 5d 4p 5s

I don't get this question

how many pairs of electrons can be put into these orbitals?

s -- 1

p -- 3

d -- 5

a degenerate orbital can hold a pair of electrons

The s orbital is not degenerate.

The p orbital is with pz, px, py orbitals.
The d orbital is with 5 orbitals. You can google and get the shapes of the five.

No worries! I can help you understand this question. In chemistry, orbitals refer to specific regions around an atomic nucleus where electrons are likely to be found. Each orbital has a unique set of quantum numbers that defines its energy level, shape, and orientation.

Now, let's break down the question. The term "degenerate orbitals" refers to orbitals that have the same energy level. In other words, they have identical energies.

To determine the number of degenerate orbitals from the given list, we need to identify the orbitals that belong to the same energy level.

The names of the orbitals include a principal quantum number (n) and a letter that represents the orbital type. The principal quantum number indicates the energy level of the orbital, while the letter represents the shape of the orbital.

In the given list:
- 2s refers to a 2nd energy level orbital with an s-shaped (spherical) symmetry.
- 3p refers to a 3rd energy level orbital with a p-shaped (dumbbell) symmetry.
- 5d refers to a 5th energy level orbital with a d-shaped (cloverleaf) symmetry.
- 4p refers to a 4th energy level orbital with a p-shaped (dumbbell) symmetry.
- 5s refers to a 5th energy level orbital with an s-shaped (spherical) symmetry.

To identify degenerate orbitals, we look for orbitals with the same principal quantum number (n).

In the given list, there are two orbitals with the same principal quantum number, 5. Therefore, the 5d and 5s orbitals are degenerate.

So, the answer to the question is: there are two degenerate orbitals in the list (5d and 5s).