How many possible substates are available in a hydrogen atom where the principal quantum number is 2?
A) 18
B) 8
C) 36
D) 9

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

For a hydrogen atom with principal quantum number n=2, the possible values for the azimuthal quantum number l are 0 and 1. For l=0, there is 1 magnetic quantum number (m=0), and for l=1, there are 3 magnetic quantum numbers (m=-1, 0, 1). Each substate can have 2 possible spin states, so the total number of substates is (1+3) * 2 = 8.

How Many Possible Substates Are Available in a Hydrogen Atom