How do electron shells and subshells/orbitals relate?

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In summary, an atom can have a maximum of 10 electrons in each of its electron shells. The number of subshells an atom has affects the number of orbitals it has, and the orbitals are within the subshells.
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In physical science I was told that all elements could have 2 electrons in the first shell, and 8 in all the rest. I'm trying to study chemistry over the summer with khan academy but I am really having a hard time grasping the idea of subshells, or orbitals. The second shell can have up to 8 electrons (I have by now found that this number in fact increases with the number of shells), but with only x y and z orbitals the total electrons are only 6. I have no idea if any of this is correct but I'm deeply confused. I just need a clear explanation of how shells and subshells relate
 
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Hi, hopefully I can help!

When n=1 ( Principal quantum shell 1 ),
there is 1 s-subshell which can hold 2 electrons.

When n=2, it contains the 2s and 2p subshells! Like you've stated, the p-subshells have 3 orbitals, namely 2px, 2py and 2pz. Each orbital can hold 2 electrons. Thus the p-subshell can hold a maximum of 8 electrons, 6 from the 3 p-orbitals and 2 from the s-orbital.

When an atom has an electronic configuration of up to n=2 ie. it has 2 electron shells, it mainly means that it can hold a maximum of 10 electrons( 2 from n=1 and 6 from n=2). Any more will go to the next energy level/principal quantum shell 3.

At n=3, it contains the s,p and d subshells. d-subshells have 5 orbitals, and thus d-subshells alone can hold 10 electrons max. Now, don't forget the s and p subshells, so at n=3, a total of 18 electrons can be held.

Any atom that has a d-sub-level ie. up to n=3 can hold a maximum of 30 electrons.
If you add it all up, where n=3 has 18 electrons, n=2 has 8 and n=1 has 2, you'll get 28. But if you've reached the part about the 4s subshell being lower in energy than the 3d subshell, that gives you an additional 2 electrons, which was how I got the 30 max.

Basically, the biggest is the electron shell and then the sub shells and orbitals, the smallest.
As your electron shell number increases ie. n=1, n=2 etc, the number of subshells you have within your electron shell increases too, eg n=1 has only the s subshell, n=2 has the s and p sub shells. The orbitals are within the subshells, and their numbers are standard, s subshell has 1 orbital, p subshell has 3 orbitals, d subshell has 5 orbitals and f subshell has 7 orbitals.


Hope this helped. It was confusing for me at first too.
 

FAQ: How do electron shells and subshells/orbitals relate?

1. What are electron shells and subshells/orbitals?

Electron shells are energy levels in an atom where electrons can exist. Each shell has a specific energy level and can hold a specific number of electrons. Subshells, also known as orbitals, are regions within a shell where electrons are most likely to be found. Each subshell can hold a specific number of electrons and has a specific shape.

2. How do electron shells and subshells/orbitals relate?

The number of subshells within a shell is equal to the number of the shell. For example, the first shell has 1 subshell, the second shell has 2 subshells, and so on. Each subshell has a specific shape and orientation, and the electrons within a subshell fill up according to the Aufbau principle, which states that electrons fill the lowest energy subshell first before moving to higher energy subshells.

3. What is the maximum number of electrons that can be held in each subshell?

The s subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, the p subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons, the d subshell can hold a maximum of 10 electrons, and the f subshell can hold a maximum of 14 electrons.

4. How do electron configurations relate to electron shells and subshells?

Electron configurations show the arrangement of electrons in an atom's shells and subshells. The number and arrangement of subshells in an atom's electron configuration determine the atom's chemical properties.

5. Why do electrons fill up subshells in a specific order?

Electrons fill up subshells in a specific order because of the Pauli exclusion principle, which states that no two electrons can have the same set of quantum numbers. This means that each electron in an atom must have a unique set of quantum numbers, including its energy level, subshell, and spin. The Aufbau principle and Hund's rule also play a role in determining the order in which electrons fill up subshells.

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