How many orbitals are there in the seventh shell ?

1 Answer
Oct 6, 2015

#49#

Explanation:

You can determine the number of orbitals you have in a particular shell by using the principal quantum number, #n#.

More specifically, the number of orbitals that can be found in each shell is given by

#"no. of orbitals" = n^2#

So, for the first shell you have

#"no. of orbitals" = 1^2 = 1#

For the second shell you have

#"no. of orbitals" = 2^2 = 4#

In your case, the seventh shell will contain

#"no. of orbitals" = 7^2 = 49#

Notice that you can easily find the number of electrons that an atom can accomodate on a particular shell, or energy level, by using the fact that each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons.

In the case of the seventh shell, those #49# orbitals will hold a maximum of

#"no. of electrons" = 2 * 49 = "98 e"^(-)#