How many electrons are there in the p-orbital of a CH3 RADICAL (CH3.) I don't understand how it is 3.
How many electrons are there in the p-orbital of a CH3 RADICAL (CH3.) I don't understand how to count 3.
Answered above.
To determine the number of electrons in the p-orbital of a CH3 radical (CH3.), we need to understand the electron configuration of carbon and hydrogen atoms.
First, let's consider the electron configuration of a carbon atom. Carbon has an atomic number of 6, which means it has 6 electrons. The electron configuration of carbon is 1s2 2s2 2p2. This means that the first shell (1s) contains 2 electrons, the second shell (2s) contains 2 electrons, and the second shell's p-orbital (2p) contains 2 electrons.
Next, let's consider the hydrogen atoms. Hydrogen has an atomic number of 1, so it only has one electron. Therefore, each hydrogen atom contributes one electron.
In the CH3 radical, there are three hydrogen atoms bonded to one carbon atom. Since each hydrogen atom contributes one electron, the total number of electrons from the three hydrogen atoms is 3.
The carbon atom itself has its own two electrons from its electron configuration. However, since carbon is forming three bonds with the hydrogen atoms, it shares one electron from each bond, resulting in a total of three electrons being present in the p-orbital of the carbon atom.
Adding the three electrons from the hydrogen atoms to the three electrons from the carbon atom, we get a total of 6 electrons in the p-orbital of the CH3 radical.