Question

What in the sequence of energies of 3s, 3p and 3d orbitals in:
(a) a hydrogen atom
(b) a multielectron atom

Answer 1

Answer:

The energy possessed by electron in the hydrogen atom is given by,

Here, is Rydberg constant and n is principal quantum number

So, energy possessed by electron in the hydrogen atom depends only on the principal quantum number. Thus, the increasing order of energies for hydrogen orbitals is

So, orbitals 3s, 3p and 3d have the same energy in a hydrogen atom.