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-An electron in an H atom is excited to an energy of -2.42 x 10^-19J. What is the largest value of m_l possible for this energy level?

Question

Use the following equations for Questions E n = -An electron in an H atom is excited to an energy of -2.42 x 10^-19J. What is the largest value of m_l possible for this energy level?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy level of -2.42 x 10^-19 J corresponds to the n=2 energy level for an electron in a hydrogen atom. The largest value of $m_l$ (the magnetic quantum number) in any given energy level is determined by the angular momentum quantum number $l$, which ranges from 0 to $n-1$. For $n=2$, $l$ can be 0 or 1. When $l=1$, $m_l$ can take values of -1, 0, or +1, making the largest value of $m_l$ equal to 1. However, the question asks for the largest possible value of $m_l$ for this energy level, which includes all sublevels. Since $l$ can be 0 or 1 for $n=2$, and the $m_l$ values depend on $l$, the largest $m_l$ value considering all possible sublevels (s and p orbitals for $n=2$) is indeed 1, as $m_l$ values are integers ranging from $-l$ to $+l$.

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