Question

The electrons placed in the 3p orbital need to follow which ordering for phosphorus?

a) 3s < 3p < 3d
b) 3s = 3p = 3d
c) 3s > 3p > 3d
d) 3s < 3d < 3p

Answer 1

The electrons placed in the 3p orbital for phosphorus follow the ordering: 3s > 3p > 3d.

Step-by-step explanation:

The electrons placed in the 3p orbital for phosphorus follow the ordering: 3s > 3p > 3d. This means that the 3s subshell is filled first, followed by the 3p subshell, and then the 3d subshell. The 3s subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, the 3p subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons, and the 3d subshell can hold a maximum of 10 electrons.