Which orbital holds 14 electrons at maximum occupancy?

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Multiple Choice

Which orbital holds 14 electrons at maximum occupancy?

Explanation:
The capacity of a subshell is determined by how many orbitals it contains times two electrons per orbital (Pauli principle). Each orbital can hold 2 electrons, so multiply by the number of orbitals in that subshell: s has 1 orbital → 2 electrons; p has 3 orbitals → 6 electrons; d has 5 orbitals → 10 electrons; f has 7 orbitals → 14 electrons. Therefore, 14 electrons at maximum occupancy come from the f orbitals, which have seven orbitals each capable of holding 2 electrons.

The capacity of a subshell is determined by how many orbitals it contains times two electrons per orbital (Pauli principle). Each orbital can hold 2 electrons, so multiply by the number of orbitals in that subshell: s has 1 orbital → 2 electrons; p has 3 orbitals → 6 electrons; d has 5 orbitals → 10 electrons; f has 7 orbitals → 14 electrons. Therefore, 14 electrons at maximum occupancy come from the f orbitals, which have seven orbitals each capable of holding 2 electrons.

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