Question

What is the total number of electrons possible in the 2 p orbitals?

Answer 1

Answer:

in p orbital, total no. of electrons can be 6.

Explanation:

Pauli's exclusion tells that no two electrons can have all four quantum no.s same. Prashant is correct. but there is some catch here. let's see what's that catch.

for n = 2, l can have two values, l= 0, 1

now l= 0 means s orbital, which can have one spin up electron and one spin down electron. hence total 2 electrons.

for l= 1 means p orbital,  m_l will have three values from -1 to 1. i.e. -1,0,1

now each state can have one spin up electron and one spin down electron. hence p orbital can have total 6 electrons and no two electrons here have all four quantum no.s same.

Answer 2

Explanation:

Most would say it is 2 and 6 but it is not so.

It is 1 and 1.

This is because of Pauli's exclusion principle.

No two electrons can have the same set of all four quantum numbers. Quantum state is dependent on all the four quantum numbers.

Hence no two electrons, be it in s, p, d or f orbitals or 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th shell, can have the same quantum state.

Hope it helps!