energy levels and shells

 

Shells and energy levels

Electrons in an atom are organized into shells surrounding the nucleus. Shells are an atom's energy-based grouping of electrons. The farther a shell is, the more electrons it can accommodate, and the greater the energies of those electrons, the further it is from the nucleus.

Shells and energy level difference

Two electrons can be held in the first shell (closest to the nucleus). The second shell has a capacity of 8 electrons. The third shell has a capacity of 18 electrons and the fourth shell contains 32 electrons. Within the shells, electrons are divided into four types of subshells, which are labelled s, p, d, and f in order of increasing energy.

Sub shells are a way of organizing electrons in a shell based on the geometry of the space they fill. Electrons are classified into orbitals inside each subshell, which are areas of space within an atom where certain electrons are most likely to be located. Electrons are classified into orbitals inside each subshell, which are areas of space within an atom where certain electrons are most likely to be located. Each orbital contains two electrons that vary in terms of spin.

Are shells and energy levels the same

Orbital is an area of space where an electron in a specific subshell may be located in an atom. A maximum of two electrons with opposing spin can be held in every orbital. The initial shell contains two electrons and has one 1s orbital. Eight electrons are held in the second shell, two in a 2s orbital and six in three 2p orbitals. There are 18 electrons in the third shell: two in a 3s orbital, six in three 3p orbitals, and ten in five 3d orbitals. The fourth shell has 32 electrons in it, with two in a 4s orbital, six in three 4p orbitals, ten in five 4d orbitals, and fourteen in seven 4f orbitals.

The exact arrangement of electrons in an atom’s shells and subshells is the atom’s electronic configuration.