How many number of orbitals are in Potassium (K)? 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^1

Question

asked Feb 14, 2021 206k views

1 Answer

Steinar Lima · Answer 1 · 2021-02-18T16:11:54+0000

Step-by-step explanation:

Each orbital can only carry at most 2 electrons wih opposite spins.

The first 3 shells are fully filled, giving 9 orbitals.

There is an extra electron in 4s, which gives another orbital. (even though it is not filled yet)

Hence there are 10 orbitals.