QUANTUM

NUMBERS
An electron in an atom is
described in terms of four
different quantum numbers.
Three of the quantum numbers:
n, ℓ, and m describe the atomic
orbital or spatial distribution of
an electron.
An atomic orbital may be
thought of as the region of space
around the nucleus where the
probability of finding the electron
with a given energy is greatest.
It is commonly illustrated
as an indistinct, cloud-like
region, “thick” where the
electron is most likely to be
found “thin” where it will
less likely be.
The arrangement of electrons in
an atom is called its electronic
structure. The electronic
structure of an atom refers not
only to the number of electrons
that an atom possesses but also
to their distribution around the
nucleus and to their energies.
 FOUR QUANTUM
NUMBERS
1.Principal Quantum Number
2.(n)
Azimuthal or Angular
Momentum Quantum Number (ℓ)
3. Magnetic Quantum Number
()
4. Electron Spin Quantum Number
()
 Principal Quantum Number

The principal quantum number (n), describes

the energy of the electron. It designates the
main energy level (floor) or shell. The
energy of the electron is determined by its
average distance from the nucleus or the
principal energy level where it is.
 Principal Quantum Number

As n increases, the orbital becomes larger

and the electron spends more time farther
from the nucleus. An increase in n also
means that the electron has a higher energy
and is therefore less tightly bound to the
nucleus.
 Principal Quantum Number

The larger n is, the greater the

average distance of an electron in
the orbital from the nucleus and
therefore the larger (and less stable)
the orbital.
How many electrons fit in
each shell around an atom?
The maximum number of
electrons that can occupy a
specific energy level can be found
using the formula:

Electron Capacity = 2n 2
ENERGY MAXIMUM NO. OF
LEVEL ELECTRONS
2n2
n=1 2
n=2 8
n=3 18
n=4 32
n=5 50
n=6 72
n=7 98
Principal Quantum Number

In reality there are only 32

electrons in levels 5, 6 and 7
because of number of different
elements discovered or man-
made.
Principal Quantum Number

n can be any positive integer

at 1, as
n=1 designates the first
principal shell (the innermost
shell)
The first principal shell is also
called the ground state, or
lowest energy state. This
explains why n can not be 0 or any
negative integer, because there
exists no atoms with zero or a
When an electron is in an excited
state or it gains energy, it may
jump to the second principal shell,
where n=2. This is called
absorption because the electron
is "absorbing" photons or energy.
Electrons can also "emit" energy as they jump
to lower principal shells, where n decreases by
whole numbers, this is known as emission. As
the energy of the electron increases, so does
the principal quantum number, examples, n = 3
indicates the third principal shell, n = 4
indicates the fourth principal shell, and so on.
EXAMPLES:
A. If n = 6, what is the principal
electron shell?SIXTH PRINCIPAL
ANSWER:
SHELL
B. If an electron jumped from
energy level n = 5 to energy
level n = 3, did absorption or
emission of a photon
ANSWER: Emission, occur?
because
energy is lost by release of a
 Azimuthal or Angular
Momentum Quantum Number

The azimuthal or angular

momentum quantum number (ℓ)
determines the “shape” of an
orbital. It designates the
sublevel which the electron is
 Azimuthal or Angular
Momentum Quantum Number

The number of angular nodes is

equal to the value of the angular
momentum quantum number
(ℓ) . Each value of ℓ indicates a
specific s, p, d, f subshell (each
unique in shape).
 Shape of Orbitals

s - spherical shape p - dumbbell shape d - cloverleaf shape f - complex shape

A node is where the probability
density is zero. This means the
electron should never be found
there.
s orbital has 0 node
p orbital has 1 node
d orbital has 2 nodes
f orbital has 3 nodes
 Azimuthal or Angular
Momentum Quantum Number

The allowed values of ℓ

depend on the value of n and
can range from 0 to n − 1:
ℓ =0,1,2,…,n−1
 Azimuthal or Angular
Momentum Quantum Number

For example, if n = 1, ℓ
can be only 0; if n = 2, ℓ
can be 0 or 1; and so forth.
MAGNETIC QUANTUM NUMBER

Each orbital subshell is

associated with “ℓ” value.
ℓ = 0 s (sharp)
ℓ=1 p (principal)`
ℓ = 2 d (diffuse)
ℓ = 3 f (fundamental)
Note: As n increases the number
of different types of orbitals
increases.
POSSIBLE ℓ POSSIBLE
n VALUE
VALUES ORBITALS
1 0 s
2 0, 1 s, p
3 0, 1, 2 s, p, d
4 0, 1, 2, 3 s, p, d, f
 Maximum
Subshells Number of
Electrons
s 2
p 6
d 10
f 14
EXAMPLE:
A. How many subshells are contained
within the principal shell with n = 3?
ANSWER:
If n = 3, then ℓ can equal 0, 1, or 2.
Therefore, it has three subshells.
MAGNETIC QUANTUM NUMBER
()
It determines the number of
orbitals and their orientation
in space.
MAGNETIC QUANTUM NUMBER
()
Its value depends on the orbital
angular momentum quantum
number . Given a certain , is an
interval ranging from – to +, so it
can be zero, a negative integer,
or a positive integer.
EXAMPLE:
A. If n = 3, and ℓ=2, then what are
the possible values ?
ANSWER:
Since must range from – to +,
then can be: -2, -1, 0, 1, or 2.
 s p
f
orbital orbita d orbitals
orbitals
s ls
ℓ 0 1 2 3
-3, -2, -1,
-1, 0, -2, -1, 0,
0 0, +1,
+1 +1, +2
+2, +3
Number
of
orbitals
in 1 3 5 7
ELECTRON SPIN QUANTUM NUMBER
()
Unlike n, , and , the electron spin
quantum number does not
depend on another quantum
number.
ELECTRON SPIN QUANTUM NUMBER
()
It describes the angular
momentum of an electron. An
electron spins around an axis
and has both angular momentum
and orbital angular momentum.
ELECTRON SPIN QUANTUM NUMBER
()
Because angular momentum is a
vector, the Spin Quantum
Number () has both a magnitude
(1/2) and direction (+ or -).
ELECTRON SPIN QUANTUM NUMBER
()
Each orbital can only hold two
electrons. One electron will
have a +1/2 spin
represented by ↑, and the
other will have a -1/2 spin
represented by ↓.
ELECTRON SPIN QUANTUM NUMBER
()
This means that when is positive
the electron has an upward spin,
which can be referred to as "spin
up." When it is negative, the
electron has a downward spin, so
it is "spin down."
ELECTRON SPIN QUANTUM NUMBER
()
ELECTRON SPIN QUANTUM NUMBER
()
Electrons like to fill orbitals before they
start to pair up. Therefore, the first
electron in an orbital will have a spin of
+1/2. After all the orbitals are half filled,
the electrons start to pair up. This
second electron in the orbital will have a
spin of -1/2. If there are two electrons in
the same orbital, it will spin in opposite
directions.
ELECTRON SPIN QUANTUM NUMBER
()
ELECTRON SPIN QUANTUM NUMBER
()
EXAMPLE:
A. List the possible combinations of all
four quantum numbers when n=2, =1,
and =0
ANSWER:
.
The fourth quantum number is independent of the first
three, allowing the first three quantum numbers of two
electrons to be the same. Since the spin can be +1/2 or = -
1/2, there are two combinations:
n=2, =1, =0, = +1/2
n=2, =1, =0, = −1/2
EXAMPLE:
B. Can an electron with =1/2 have a
downward spin?.
ANSWER:
No, if the value of is positive, the
electron is "spin up."
Practice:
A. What is the spin
quantum number for
Chlorine (Cl)?
B. What is the spin
quantum number for
Zinc (Zn)?
Practice:
A. The quantum B. The quantum
numbers for the numbers for the last
last electron of Cl electron of Zn are:
are: n=
n= ℓ=
ℓ= =
= =
=