Answer to Question #107704 in Inorganic Chemistry for Delaney Gilder

Question

What is the maximum number of electrons that can have the following set of quantum numbers? n=4, l= 3, ml= 1, ms= -1/2

Answer 1

Only one. Because you are given the energy level, n = 4; the subshell, l = 3 (f-subshell, total 7 orbitals, maximum 14 electrons) and the exact orbital, m_l = 1, in which the electrons reside. Since you know the exact orbital, it follows that only two electrons can share these three quantum numbers, one having spin-up, m_s = +1/2, and the other having spin-down, m_s = -1/2. And only one electron can share those four quantum numbers.