Which electron is, on average, further from the nucleus: an electron in a 3p orbital or an electron in a 4p orbital?
The orbitals, as we go OUT further from the nucleus:
1s
2s
2p
3s
3p
3d
4s
4p
3d and 4s are close to the same energy.
To determine which electron is, on average, further from the nucleus, we need to understand the electron configuration and energy levels. The electron configuration is a way of organizing electrons in an atom or ion, indicating the shells and subshells in which they are found.
In this case, we are comparing the electron in a 3p orbital with the electron in a 4p orbital.
The electron configuration for the 3p orbital is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p¹, indicating that there are 3 electrons in lower energy levels before reaching the 3p orbital.
On the other hand, the electron configuration for the 4p orbital is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p¹, indicating that there are 18 electrons in lower energy levels before reaching the 4p orbital.
Now, let's analyze the energy levels. The higher the principal quantum number (n), the further the electron is from the nucleus. The principal quantum number determines the energy level of an electron, with n=1 being the closest to the nucleus.
In our case, the 3p orbital has a principal quantum number (n) of 3, while the 4p orbital has a principal quantum number (n) of 4. Since 4 is a higher value of n than 3, electrons in the 4p orbital are, on average, further from the nucleus compared to the electrons in the 3p orbital.
In summary, the electron in a 4p orbital is, on average, further from the nucleus compared to the electron in a 3p orbital.
To determine which electron is, on average, further from the nucleus, we need to consider the energy levels and the shape of the orbitals.
In a multi-electron atom, the energy levels are labeled using a combination of the principal quantum number (n) and the azimuthal quantum number (l). The principal quantum number determines the energy level of the electron, while the azimuthal quantum number describes the shape of the orbital.
The 3p orbital has n = 3 and l = 1, while the 4p orbital has n = 4 and l = 1. The higher the value of n, the further away the electron is from the nucleus on average.
Therefore, since 4p has a higher principal quantum number (n) than 3p, the electron in a 4p orbital is, on average, further from the nucleus than the electron in a 3p orbital.