Quantum Numbers & Atomic Orbitals

30 Practice Questions for Advanced Chemistry & Quantum Mechanics

Cover Electronic Structure, Boundary Rules, and Atomic Shell Theory

Part I: Multiple Choice Questions (1–15)

1. Which quantum number determines the primary energy level and the overall size of an atomic
orbital?
(A) Azimuthal (l) (B) Magnetic (ml ) (C) Principal (n) (D) Spin (ms )

2. What are the allowed values of the azimuthal (subsidiary) quantum number l for a principal
energy level n = 3?
(A) 1, 2, 3 (B) 0, 1, 2 (C) −2, −1, 0, 1, 2 (D) 0, 1, 2, 3

3. For an orbital designated as 4d, what are the precise values of n and l?
(A) n = 4, l = 1 (B) n = 4, l = 2 (C) n = 4, l = 3 (D) n = 3, l = 2

4. What is the maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated in a single subshell with
l = 3?
(A) 2 (B) 6 (C) 10 (D) 14

5. Which principle states that no two electrons in an atom can have the exact same set of all four
quantum numbers?
(A) Aufbau Principle (B) Hund’s Rule (C) Pauli Exclusion Principle (D) Heisen-
berg Uncertainty Principle

6. If l = 2, what is the total number of orientations (or magnetic quantum states ml ) possible for
this subshell?
(A) 3 (B) 5 (C) 7 (D) 9

7. Which of the following sets of quantum numbers (n, l, ml , ms ) is unacceptable according to

quantum mechanical rules?
(A) (2, 1, 0, −1/2) (B) (3, 2, −2, +1/2) (C) (1, 0, 0, +1/2) (D) (2, 2, 1, −1/2)

8. The total number of atomic orbitals present inside a principal energy shell with quantum number
n is equal to:
(A) 2n (B) n2 (C) 2n2 (D) 2l + 1

9. Which quantum number is independent of the spatial boundary coordinates and represents an
intrinsic property of the electron?
(A) Principal (B) Azimuthal (C) Magnetic (D) Spin

10. What is the orbital angular momentum of an electron residing in a spherical s-orbital (l = 0)?
√ √
(A) 0 (B) ℏ 2 (C) ℏ/2 (D) ℏ 6

11. According to Hund’s Rule of Maximum Multiplicity, when filling degenerate p-orbitals, pairing
begins only after:
(A) All orbitals have 2 electrons (B) All orbitals are singly occupied (C) n increases
(D) l changes

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12. Find the total number of radial nodes for a 3p orbital.
(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 3

13. Which orbital possesses an explicit donut-shaped rings configuration (torus) along with two
symmetric lobes along the Z-axis?
(A) s (B) pz (C) dz 2 (D) dx2 −y2

14. The maximum number of electrons that can fit within a principal energy level n = 4 is:
(A) 8 (B) 16 (C) 32 (D) 18

15. If an electron has an azimuthal quantum number l = 1, what type of spatial geometric configu-
ration does its orbital present?
(A) Spherical (B) Dumbbell (C) Double-dumbbell (D) Complex/Diffuse

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Part II: Short Answer & Conceptual Questions (16–25)

16. Write down the full ground-state configuration of a neutral Scandium (Z = 21) atom and identify
the four quantum numbers for its highest energy valence electron.

17. Calculate both the total number of radial nodes and angular nodes present in a 5d atomic orbital.

18. Explain why an orbital designation like 2d cannot exist in quantum mechanical reality using
systemic boundary constraints.

19. A specific electron has a principal quantum number n = 3. List all permissible combinations of
l and ml values that this electron can possess.

20. Deduce the identity of an orbital that has exactly 2 radial nodes and 1 angular node. Show your
work using node equations.

21. Write the set of all 4 quantum numbers for the outermost electron of a ground-state Sodium
(Z = 11) atom.
p
22. Using the formula for orbital angular momentum L = ℏ l(l + 1), calculate the precise angular
momentum value for an electron in a 4f subshell.

23. State the physical and geometrical significance of the magnetic quantum number ml in describing
an atom’s cloud structures.

24. Identify the subshell designation corresponding to the following specific parameter blocks:

(a) n = 5, l = 0 (b) n = 3, l = 2 (c) n = 4, l = 1 (d) n = 6, l = 3

25. An atom contains electrons filling up to the 4s orbital. Is it possible for an electron in this atom
to have a magnetic quantum number ml = +3? Justify your answer.

Part III: Advanced & Analytic Problems (26–30)

26. Degeneracy Analysis: Determine the total orbital degeneracy for a hydrogenic (one-electron)
atom at an excited state defined by n = 4. Compare this with the degeneracy profile of a
multi-electron atom at the same level.

27. The total spin angular momentum S of a multi-electron system can be calculated. If a Nitrogen
atom (Z = 7) is in its standard ground state, calculate its total net spin quantum number S
and its corresponding spin multiplicity (2S + 1).

28. The n + l Rule Validation: Arrange the following subshell blocks in terms of increasing total
energy level according to the Madelung rule: 5p, 4d, 5s, 4f, 6s. Show the (n + l) calculation
matrix for each block.

29. Prove using explicit structural summations that the maximum capacity ofPany given electronic
shell n is exactly equal to 2n2 by using the standard series relationships: n−1
l=0 (2l + 1).

30. An
√ electron in a hydrogen-like system falls from a state with an orbital angular momentum of
ℏ 6 to a state with an orbital angular momentum of 0. Determine the initial and final orbital
classifications (s, p, d, f ) for this electronic transition.

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Answer Key

1. C 2. B 3. B
4. D 5. C 6. B
7. D 8. B 9. D
10. A 11. B 12. B
13. C 14. C 15. B

16. Configuration: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d1 . The last electron enters the 3d subshell: n = 3, l =
2, ml ∈ {−2, −1, 0, 1, 2} (commonly −2), ms = +1/2.

17. For 5d: n = 5, l = 2. Angular nodes = l = 2. Radial nodes = n − l − 1 = 5 − 2 − 1 = 2.

18. For a 2d designation, n = 2 and l = 2. However, quantum boundaries dictate that l ≤ n − 1.

Thus, for n = 2, the maximum value of l is 1 (s and p only).

19. Valid ranges: l = 0 =⇒ ml = 0; l = 1 =⇒ ml ∈ {−1, 0, 1}; l = 2 =⇒ ml ∈ {−2, −1, 0, 1, 2}.

20. Angular nodes = l = 1 =⇒ p-orbital. Radial nodes = n−l−1 = 2 =⇒ n−1−1 = 2 =⇒ n = 4.

The designation is 4p.

21. Sodium’s valence electron sits in 3s1 : n = 3, l = 0, ml = 0, ms = +1/2.

p √ √
22. For an f subshell, l = 3. L = ℏ 3(3 + 1) = ℏ 12 = 2 3ℏ.

23. It dictates the 3D spatial orientation of the orbital in space relative to an external magnetic
field.

24. (a) 5s (b) 3d (c) 4p (d) 6f .

25. No. The maximum l reached is for 4s (l = 0) or filled core p (l = 1) and d (l = 2). An ml = +3
requires a minimum of l = 3 (f -orbital), which is not occupied.

26. For Hydrogen, energy depends only on n, so degeneracy is n2 = 42 = 16. In multi-electron

systems, subshell screening splits energies, so orbitals are only degenerate within each subshell
(2l + 1).

27. Nitrogen has 3 unpaired electrons in 2p (2p1x 2p1y 2p1z ). Net spin S = 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 = 3/2.
Multiplicity = 2(3/2) + 1 = 4 (Quartet state).

28. (n + l) calculations: 5s =⇒ 5 + 0 = 5; 4d =⇒ 4 + 2 = 6; 5p =⇒ 5 + 1 = 6; 4f =⇒ 4 + 3 = 7;
6s =⇒ 6 + 0 = 6. Energy sequence: 5s < 4d < 5p < 6s < 4f .

29. Total number of orbitals = n−1 2

P
l=0 (2l + 1) = 1 + 3 + 5 + · · · + (2n − 1) = n . Each orbital holds
2
2 electrons =⇒ 2 × n = 2n . 2

p √ p
30. Initial: l(l + 1) = 6 =⇒ l(l+1) = 6 =⇒ l = 2 (d-orbital). Final: l(l + 1) = 0 =⇒ l = 0
(s-orbital). Transition is d → s.