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umagongdi
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Homework Statement
A helium atom had two electrons in the first shell (1s). Explain, withour detailed derivation, what the value of the total spin quantum number is.
Homework Equations
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The Attempt at a Solution
Since the 2 electrons are in the first (1s) shell they must have opposite spins, +1/2, and -1/2 due to pauli exclusion principle. The total spin must be their sum +1/2-1/2=0. Therefore the atom spin is 0? Can atoms have spin 0?