
In quantum physics and chemistry, quantum numbers describe values of conserved quantities in the dynamics of a quantum system. Quantum numbers correspond to eigenvalues of operators that commute with the Hamiltonian —quantities that can be known with precision at the same time as the system's energy [note 1] —and their corresponding eigenspaces.
What are the rules of quantum numbers?
What Are The Rules For Electron Configuration?
- Quantum Numbers. These are a set of 4 numbers that together define the position of each individual electron in the atom.
- Aufbau Principle. ...
- Hund’s Rule of Maximum Multiplicity. ...
- Pauli’s Exclusion Principle. ...
What are the four quantum numbers?
They are:
- PRINCIPAL QUANTUM NUMBER (n) - Represents the main energy level, or shell, occupied by an electron. ...
- SECONDARY QUANTUM NUMBER (l ) - Represents the energy sublevel, or type of orbital, occupied by the electron. ...
- MAGNETIC QUANTUM NUMBER (ml ) - Represents the number of possible orientations in 3-D space for each type of orbital. ...
What do each of the quantum numbers mean?
There are four quantum numbers:
- n - principal quantum number: describes the energy level
- ℓ - azimuthal or angular momentum quantum number: describes the subshell
- m ℓ or m - magnetic quantum number: describes the orbital of the subshell
- m s or s - spin quantum number: describes the spin
What are some examples of quantum numbers?
There are four quantum numbers:-
- Principal quantum number (n) : It defines the main shell to which an electron belongs. It generally tells the size of the orbital. ...
- Azimuthal quantum number (l) : It tells us the number of subshells present in the main shell and the orbital to which an electron belongs. ...
- Magnetic quantum number (m) : It informs the level of degenera

What are the 4 quantum numbers?
In atoms, there are a total of four quantum numbers: the principal quantum number (n), the orbital angular momentum quantum number (l), the magnetic quantum number (ml), and the electron spin quantum number (ms).
What is a quantum number example?
The angular quantum number (l) can be any integer between 0 and n - 1. If n = 3, for example, l can be either 0, 1, or 2. The magnetic quantum number (m) can be any integer between -l and +l. If l = 2, m can be either -2, -1, 0, +1, or +2.
Which quantum number defines?
A quantum number is a value that is used when describing the energy levels available to atoms and molecules. An electron in an atom or ion has four quantum numbers to describe its state and yield solutions to the Schrödinger wave equation for the hydrogen atom.
What is quantum number and explain its types?
Quantum numbers are the set of numbers used to describe the position and energy of an electron in an atom. There are four types of quantum numbers: principal, azimuthal, magnetic, and spin. Quantum numbers represent the values of a quantum system's conserved quantities.
How do you write quantum numbers?
The three quantum numbers (n, l, and m) that describe an orbital are integers: 0, 1, 2, 3, and so on. The principal quantum number (n) cannot be zero. The allowed values of n are therefore 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. The angular quantum number (l) can be any integer between 0 and n - 1.
Who discovered quantum numbers?
Pauli Exclusion Principle: In 1926, Wolfgang Pauli discovered that a set of quantum numbers is specific to a certain electron. That is, no two electrons can have the same values for n, l, ml, and ms.
What is the principal quantum number?
In quantum mechanics, the principal quantum number (symbolized n) is one of four quantum numbers assigned to each electron in an atom to describe that electron's state. Its values are natural numbers (from 1) making it a discrete variable.
Where do quantum numbers come from?
Quantum numbers arise in the process of solving the Schrodinger equation by constraints or boundary conditions which must be applied to get the solution to fit the physical situation. The case of a particle confined in a three-dimensional box can be used to show how quantum numbers arise.
What is azimuthal quantum number with example?
The azimuthal quantum number can suggest an s, p, d, or f subshell, all of which have different forms. This value is determined by (and limited by) the primary quantum number, i.e. the azimuthal quantum number varies between 0 and 1. (n-1). For example, if n = 3, the azimuthal quantum number can be 0, 1, or 2.
How do you find the four quantum numbers of an electron?
1:344:24How To Determine The 4 Quantum Numbers From an ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's going to be negative one half. So those are the four quantum numbers for the fluorine atom theMoreIt's going to be negative one half. So those are the four quantum numbers for the fluorine atom the last electron in the fluorine atom the 2p5. Electron. All right let's try another example.
What are orbital quantum numbers?
number needed to specify an orbital is denoted l and called the orbital angular momentum quantum number. This quantum number has no role in determining the energy in a hydrogen atom. It represents the magnitude of the orbital angular momentum of the electron around the nucleus.
Where do quantum numbers come from?
Quantum numbers arise in the process of solving the Schrodinger equation by constraints or boundary conditions which must be applied to get the solution to fit the physical situation. The case of a particle confined in a three-dimensional box can be used to show how quantum numbers arise.
What are Quantum Numbers?
The set of numbers used to describe the position and energy of the electron in an atom are called quantum numbers. There are four quantum numbers, namely, principal, azimuthal, magnetic and spin quantum numbers.
What is the principal quantum number?
Principal quantum numbers are denoted by the symbol ‘n’. They designate the principal electron shell of the atom. Since the most probable distance between the nucleus and the electrons is described by it, a larger value of the principal quantum number implies a greater distance between the electron and the nucleus (which, in turn, implies a greater atomic size).
What is the subshell of an azimuthal quantum number?
For example, if n =3, the azimuthal quantum number can take on the following values – 0,1, and 2. When l=0, the resulting subshell is an ‘s’ subshell. Similarly, when l=1 and l=2, the resulting subshells are ‘p’ and ‘d’ subshells (respectively). Therefore, when n=3, the three possible subshells are 3s, 3p, and 3d.
What does the value of electron spin quantum number determine?
The value of the electron spin quantum number determines whether the atom in question has the ability to produce a magnetic field. The value of m s can be generalized to ±½.
How many quantum numbers are used in Schrodinger wave equation?
When the characteristics of an electron must be described in compliance with the Schrodinger wave equation, a total of four quantum numbers are used. A brief description of each of these numbers in the set of four quantum numbers that describe the unique quantum state of an electron in atomic physics can be found below.
How to find the total number of orbitals in a given subshell?
The total number of orbitals in a given subshell is a function of the ‘l’ value of that orbital. It is given by the formula (2l + 1). For example, the ‘3d’ subshell (n=3, l=2) contains 5 orbitals (2*2 + 1). Each orbital can accommodate 2 electrons. Therefore, the 3d subshell can hold a total of 10 electrons.
What is the value of conserved quantities in a quantum system?
The values of the conserved quantities of a quantum system are given by quantum numbers. Electronic quantum numbers (the quantum numbers describing electrons) can be defined as a group of numerical values which provide solutions that are acceptable by the Schrodinger wave equation for hydrogen atoms.
What are Quantum Numbers?
Quantum number is a value, which is used to describe the energy available in atoms and molecules. Moreover, an electron within an ion or an atom has four such numbers to portray its energy state. Additionally, it yields clarifications to the wave equation for hydrogen atoms by Schrodinger. These four quantum numbers are –
How many quantum numbers are there in an atom?
Furthermore, every electron in an atom has a set of unique quantum numbers. According to the ‘Pauli exclusion principle’, these four quantum numbers and their combination cannot be the same in two electrons.
Why is the value of l 0 to n-1?
Therefore, the value of ℓ varies from 0 to n-1, because the first p orbital where ℓ=1 arrives in the second electron shell, i.e. n=2. Likewise, the first d orbital, i.e. ℓ=2, appears within the third shell, which is n=3, and so on. The azimuthal quantum number is very significant in chemistry, as it identifies the shape of an atomic orbital, and has a powerful effect on chemical bonds and bond angles.
How many electrons can an orbital contain?
An electron that has a spin ‘s’ = 1/2, its ms will be ‘±’, confirming its spin and opposite spin. Moreover, every electron in any particular orbital should have different spins according to ‘Pauli Exclusion Principle’. Hence, an orbital cannot contain more than 2 electrons.
Why are quantum numbers important?
Additionally, these quantum numbers are crucial, as they are used to comprehend the electron configuration of an atom. Besides, they also give an idea of the possible location of an atom’s electrons.
How many types of quantum numbers are there?
There are four types of quantum numbers, principal, azimuthal or angular momentum, magnetic, and spin quantum number. Every number has its characteristics and have a different value system.
How many orbitals does the P subshell have?
Additionally, the ‘p’ subshell, i.e. ℓ=1 comprises three orbitals. It is also known as three ‘dumbbell-shaped’ clods. Hence, the mℓ of an electron in this ‘p’ subshell should be either -1, 0, 1.
How many numbers are there in a quantum number?
Quantum number may be defined as a set of four numbers with the help of which we can get complete information about all the electrons in an atom, i.e., location, energy, the type of occupied, shape, and orientation of the orbital, etc. Quantum numbers distinguish different orbitals based on size, shape, and orientation in space.
How to find the quantum number of an atom?
The principal quantum number gives the following information: 1 It determines the size of the electron cloud i.e., it gives the average distance of the electron from the nucleus. 2 It determines the energy of the electron in the hydrogen atom and hydrogen-like particles (i.e., which contain only one electron) by the following equation:#N#E n = – 2 π 2 m e 4 Z 2 n 2 h 2#N#Where m is the mass, e is the charge of the electron, Z is the atomic number, n is the principal shell number, and h is Planck’s constant.#N#The energies of various shells follow the sequence: K < L < M < N < O …... 3 The maximum number of electrons present in any principal shell is given by 2n 2, where n is the number of the principal shell.
What are the characteristics of an atom's orbital?
The different characteristics of orbitals are represented primarily by the Principal Quantum number, Azimuthal Quantum number, and magnetic quantum number , and these numbers are derived from Schrodinger’s wave equations. The spin quantum number on the other side shows the spin or rotation of the electron along its axis only and does not denote any characteristic of the orbital.
What is the most critical quantum number?
2. Azimuthal or secondary or angular quantum number (l) 3. Magnetic quantum number ( m 1) 4. Spin quantum number (s) 1. Principal quantum number (n) Principle quantum number is one of the most critical quantum numbers that tells about an electron’s principal energy level, orbit, or shell.
What is the quantum number of an electron?
This quantum number is to know that electrons rotate on their own axis and revolves around the nucleus. This number gives information about the spin direction of an electron. It is denoted by the letter “ s ”. As the electron spins clockwise or anti-clockwise only, spin, the quantum number has two values only, i.e. + 1 / 2 and – 1 / 2 and can be represented by arrows pointing upwards ↑ and downwards ↓.
What is the way to represent the address of an electron?
Similarly, electrons inside an atom also have an address where we can find an electron. So, Quantum numbers are the way to represent the address of an electron as we have the name of the country, state, city, etc. In this article, we will be discussing all quantum numbers, their types, and their uses.
What is the quantum number of the Zeeman effect?
This quantum number is present to explain the Zeeman effect, where the spectral lines split up into more lines whenever present in the influence of the magnetic field. The magnetic quantum number determines the number of preferred orientations of the electrons present in a subshell. The magnetic quantum number is denoted by the letter “ m ” or “ m l ”, and the value for a given value of “ l ” is in the range of -l to l, including zero. Hence the number of values of m is 2l + 1.
What is quantum number?
Quantum numbers are used to describe atomic orbitals, regions of space in which an electron can be found. From these numbers, we can determine the different properties of electrons in an atomic orbital. It is important to note that each electron will be unique to another, according to the Pauli Exclusion Principle. For this to be true, no two electrons in the same atom can have the same four quantum numbers.
What is the principal quantum number?
The principal quantum number ( n) describes the electron shell, or the size, of an orbital. An electron shell can be thought of as the part of an atom where an electron orbits the nucleus. Learn about how Rutherford discovered the nucleus.
What is the angular momentum quantum number?
The angular momentum quantum number ( l) describes the subshell, or the shape, of an orbital, and its allowable range is (0 , …, n – 1). There are four distinct shapes to remember: the s, p, d, and f orbitals. The value of l assigned to each subshell is based on the number of angular nodes (planes). For s orbitals, which are spheres, there is no angular node, so l = 0. For p orbitals, which has electron density separated by one angular node, l = 1. Following this trend, d orbitals would have l = 2 and f orbitals would have l = 3, as they have two and three angular nodes, respectively.
What are the properties of an electron in an atom?
These various properties include energy level, shape, orientation, and spin.
What does higher n mean?
The only allowable values of n are whole number integers starting from 1. A higher n value means that the associated electron is farther away from the nucleus. For example, an electron with n = 1 would be much closer to the nucleus than an electron with n = 5. When comparing electrons with the same l, we can also say that an electron with a higher n value is higher energy. With higher n, an electron will not feel the attractive pull of the positively-charged nucleus due to its farther distance. The electron’s negative charge is not stabilized, so the electron is higher energy.
What is the Principal Quantum Number?
Let us imagine an apartment building with multiple floors - the more floors there are , the more people can reside in the building, and each person's address is different, based on the room and floor they occupy.
Why were quantum numbers developed?
Quantum numbers were developed to characterize electrons - its electron configuration, movement and position in an atom. Each electron has a unique set of quantum numbers. Of the four quantum numbers, our focus in this lesson is the principal quantum number. Create an account.
How many subshells are there in a quantum number?
The number of n is equal to the number of subshells. If n = 1, there is one subshell, if n = 2, there are two subshells and so on. Each subshell has a specific maximum number of electrons that it can occupy.
How do we know which electron shells the electrons occupy?
Just like each person or family occupies different floors in the apartment building, for electrons, they occupy different principal electron shells. How do we know which principal electron shell these electrons occupy? The principal quantum number tells us which principal electron shells the electrons occupy. For example, the electron configuration of helium (He), is 1 s ^2 - the principal quantum number is the number '1'. This means the two electrons of helium occupy the first principal electron shell.
How to find the total number of nodes?
The total number of nodes is determined from the principal quantum number, n , subtracting one from n. So, the total number of nodes is equal to n - 1, as shown in the previous illustration. As the principal quantum number n increases, so does the electron density and the number of nodes. Subshells and Electrons.
When the quantum number is smaller, the electron density is more concentrated closer to the atom?
In the illustration below, it shows on the left that when the principal quantum number is smaller the electron density is more concentrated closer to the atom, which means the electron cloud is smaller. On the right, the electron density is more spread out when the principal quantum number is larger, and the electron cloud is larger.
What happens when the value of n is higher?
For a higher value of n, the atomic radius is larger, and the distance between the electron and the nucleus increases, decreasing the attraction between the two. This results in a lower ionization energy.

Brief Introduction of Quantum Numbers
What Are Quantum numbers?
- The position and energy of an electron in an atom are described by quantum numbers, which are a collection of numbers. An atom is made up of a vast number of orbitals that are distinguishable from one another by their shape, size, and spatial orientation. The orbital properties are utilised to thoroughly define an electron's state and are expressed...
Quantum Number Values
- No two electrons in an atom may have the same set of quantum numbers, according to the Pauli exclusion principle. A half-integer or integer value is used to represent each quantum number.
- The number of the electron's shell is the primary quantum number, which is an integer. The value is one or more (never 0 or negative).
- No two electrons in an atom may have the same set of quantum numbers, according to the Pauli exclusion principle. A half-integer or integer value is used to represent each quantum number.
- The number of the electron's shell is the primary quantum number, which is an integer. The value is one or more (never 0 or negative).
- The value of the electron's orbital is represented by the angular momentum quantum number (s=0, p=1). l is less than or equal to n-1 and bigger than or equal to zero.
- With integer values ranging from -l to l, the magnetic quantum number is the orbital's orientation. As a result, for the p orbital, where l=1, m might be -1, 0, or 1.
Principal Quantum Number
- This principal quantum number portrays the electron shell or energy level of an atom. Here, the value on ‘n’ starts from one and gradually increases to the shell that contains the outermost electron of a particular atom. For instance, in caesium (Cs), the outermost valence electron within the shell has energy level 6. Hence, the ‘n’ value of an electron in caesium can range from 1 to 6. …
Azimuthal Quantum Number
- The azimuthal quantum number is commonly known as the angular or orbital quantum number. Moreover, it describes the subshell of an electron and its magnitude of the orbital angular momentum via relation. Additionally, in spectroscopy or chemistry where ℓ = 0, it is known as an s orbital, ℓ = 1 is a p orbital, ℓ = 2 represents a d orbital, ℓ = 3 is an f orbital. Therefore, the value of ℓ …
Magnetic Quantum Number
- Magnetic quantum numbers articulate the energy available in a subshell and estimate the orbital angular momentum along a specific axis. Moreover, values associated with mℓ ranges between – to ℓ, but integer steps are associated. Additionally, the ‘s’ is a subshell where ℓ=0 has one orbital. Therefore, mℓ of an electron within a ‘s’ subshell will be zero always. Additionally, the ‘p’ subshell…
Spin Projection Quantum Number
- The fourth number on this list, quantum numbers spin, describes intrinsic angular momentum or ‘spin’ of an electron within an orbital. Moreover, it provides a projection of the spin angular momentum (s) along a particular axis. Additionally, the values of ms r start from –s to s. Here, ‘s’ defines the spin quantum number, an inherent property of particles. An electron that has a spin ‘…
Background of Quantum Numbers
- The work of Broglie and Bohr have established how electrons have diverse discrete energy levels associated with their atomic radius. This model offered a comparatively, simpler spherical view. Moreover, this model by Bohr and Broglie indicated how the energy level of electrons is related to their principal quantum number. However, there are no numerical ways present in this model to …
Multiplicative Quantum Numbers
- One negligible yet confusing point, which is related to the quantum numbers is that a large portion of these numbers is additive. Hence, in an elementary particle reaction, the sum value of such a number must be similar before and after a reaction. However, some of these numbers, which are typically called parity, are multiplicative. It means their product is preserved. Moreover, these mu…
Atomic Orbital
- Solving the Schrodinger equation results in obtaining a set of mathematical functions called wave functions. It indicates the probability of locating electrons at specific energy levels in an atom. Additionally, this wave function for an electron within an atom is called the atomic orbital. Moreover, it indicates a space where the probability of finding an electron is higher. Quantum nu…