the secondary quantum number/specifies the energy and size of the orbital
True
False
The correct answer and explanation is:
False.
The secondary quantum number, also called the azimuthal quantum number (l), does not specify the energy and size of an orbital directly. Instead, it determines the shape of the orbital. The value of ll can take any integer value from 0 to n−1n-1, where nn is the principal quantum number. Each value of ll corresponds to a specific type of orbital:
- l=0l = 0 is an s orbital (spherical shape),
- l=1l = 1 is a p orbital (dumbbell shape),
- l=2l = 2 is a d orbital (cloverleaf shape),
- l=3l = 3 is a f orbital (complex shapes).
The energy of an electron in an orbital is primarily determined by the principal quantum number (n), which indicates the energy level of the electron. As nn increases, the energy of the orbital increases, and the orbital’s size expands. While ll can influence the energy of orbitals in multi-electron atoms (because of electron-electron interactions and shielding), it does not directly specify the energy or size of the orbital in isolation.
The size of the orbital is mainly linked to the principal quantum number nn. As nn increases, the orbital gets larger and the electron is further from the nucleus. The energy is also influenced by the orbital’s angular momentum (which is related to ll), but this is secondary to the influence of nn.
In summary, while the secondary quantum number determines the shape of the orbital, it does not directly specify the energy or size. The energy and size are more directly determined by the principal quantum number.