How many orbitals are there in a 7d sublevel?
The correct answer and explanation is:
The 7d sublevel contains 5 orbitals.
In atomic theory, orbitals refer to regions around the nucleus where electrons are likely to be found. These orbitals are classified according to their sublevels, which correspond to the electron’s energy and shape. The “7d” sublevel refers to an orbital that exists in the 7th energy level (n=7) and corresponds to the d-block elements in the periodic table.
Each sublevel can hold a specific number of orbitals, which is determined by the type of orbital. For example, the d-sublevel is characterized by five distinct orbitals, often labeled as dxyd_{xy}, dxzd_{xz}, dyzd_{yz}, dx2−y2d_{x^2 – y^2}, and dz2d_{z^2}. These orbitals have different spatial orientations, but they all belong to the same sublevel, meaning they all share the same principal quantum number n=7n = 7 but differ in their angular momentum.
The d-orbitals can accommodate a maximum of 10 electrons, since each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons (one with spin up and one with spin down). Hence, the 7d sublevel can hold up to 10 electrons, spread across its 5 orbitals.
This follows the general pattern seen with other sublevels. The s-sublevel has 1 orbital, the p-sublevel has 3 orbitals, and the f-sublevel has 7 orbitals. Therefore, the d-sublevel, by definition, always contains 5 orbitals, regardless of the energy level in which it resides.
In summary, a 7d sublevel contains 5 orbitals, and these orbitals are the regions where electrons in this sublevel are most likely to be found.