Structure of Atom — Chemistry STD 11 Science — Question

The orbital wave function or $\psi$ for an electronin an atom has no physical meaning. It issimply a mathematical function of thecoordinates of the electron. However, fordifferent orbitals the plots of correspondingwave functions as a function of r (the distancefrom the nucleus) are different. According to the German physicist, MaxBorn, the square of the wave function(i.e.,$\psi^2$) at a point gives the probability densityof the electron at that point. Boundary surface diagrams of constantprobability density for different orbitals give afairly good representation of the shapes of theorbitals. In this representation, a boundarysurface or contour surface is drawn in spacefor an orbital on which the value of probabilitydensity $\mid\psi\mid2$ is constant. In principle manysuch boundary surfaces may be possible.However, for a given orbital, only thatboundary surface diagram of constantprobability density* is taken to be goodrepresentation of the shape of the orbital whichencloses a region or volume in which theprobability of finding the electron is very high,say, 90%.

In hydrogen atom, electron has the same energy when it is in the2s orbital as when it is present in 2p orbital.The orbitals having the same energy are calleddegenerate. The 1s orbital in a hydrogenatom, as said earlier, corresponds to the moststable condition and is called the ground stateand an electron residing in this orbital is moststrongly held by the nucleus.

An electron inthe 2s, 2p or higher orbitals in a hydrogen atomis in excited state.The filling of electrons into the orbitals ofdifferent atoms takes place according to theaufbau principle which is based on the Pauli’sexclusion principle, the Hund’s rule ofmaximum multiplicity and the relativeenergies of the orbitals. Theaufbausprinciple states : In the ground state of theatoms, the orbitals are filled in order oftheir increasing energies. In other words,electrons first occupy the lowest energy orbitalavailable to them and enter into higher energyorbitals only after the lower energy orbitals arefilled.The number of electrons to be filled in variousorbitals is restricted by the exclusion principle,given by the Austrian scientist Wolfgang Pauli(1926). According to this principle : No twoelectrons in an atom can have the sameset of four quantum numbers. Pauliexclusion principle can also be stated as : “Onlytwo electrons may exist in the same orbitaland these electrons must have oppositespin.” This means that the two electrons canhave the same value of three quantum numbersn, l and m_l, but must have the opposite spinquantum number.Hund’s Rule of Maximum Multiplicity rule deals with the filling of electrons into the orbitals belonging to the same subshell. It states : pairing ofelectrons in the orbitals belonging to thesame subshell (p, d or f) does not take placeuntil each orbital belonging to thatsubshell has got one electron each i.e., itis singly occupied.

The distribution of electrons into orbitals of anatom is called its electronic configuration.If one keeps in mind the basic rules whichgovern the filling of different atomic orbitals,the electronic configurations of different atomscan be written very easily.The electronic configuration of differentatoms can be represented in two ways. Forexample :

1. s^a p^bd^c…… notation
2. Orbital diagram

1. …at a point gives the probability density of the electron at that point.

1. $\psi\times2$

2. $-\psi^2$

3. $\psi$

4. $\psi^2$

2. Only …. electrons may exist in the same orbital and these electrons must have opposite spin.

1. One
2. Two
3. Three
4. Four

3. …deals with the filling of electrons into the orbitals belonging to the same subshell.

1. Hund’s Rule of Maximum Multiplicity rule
2. Pauli’s exclusion principle
3. Aufbau principle
4. Werner Heisenberg

4. Electrons first occupy the …. energy orbital available to them and enter into … energy orbitals.

1. Lowest, Higher
2. Higher, Lowest
3. Middle, Higher
4. Higher, Middle