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Helicobacter
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The larger n, the longer the orbitals, the higher the energy level, and the higher the speed of electrons?
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Helicobacter said:I don't understand. Here it says, "as you add energy to the electron, it will go faster." So is there a distinction between higher energy and higher energy level?
xiankai said:how does PE increase? the negative sign shows that increasing r relates to an increasingly negative PE...
The principal quantum number n represents the energy level or shell of an electron in an atom. It indicates the size and relative energy of an orbital, with higher values of n corresponding to higher energy levels.
The principal quantum number n determines the distance of an electron from the nucleus. Electrons with lower values of n are closer to the nucleus, while those with higher values are further away.
The principal quantum number n corresponds to the period of an element in the periodic table. Elements in the same period have the same highest occupied energy level n. The group number represents the number of valence electrons, which is equal to the principal quantum number n for elements in the s and p blocks.
The maximum number of electrons that can occupy a given principal energy level n is given by the formula 2n². For example, the first energy level (n=1) can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, while the second energy level (n=2) can hold a maximum of 8 electrons.
The principal quantum number n directly correlates to the energy of an electron in an atom. As n increases, the energy of the electron increases, and the electron is less tightly bound to the nucleus. Electrons with higher values of n have a higher potential energy and are more easily excited.