Why 3d orbital is possible but 3f is not possible? Explain it
Answers
Answer:
From a mathematical point of view it is easy: solve Schrödinger’s equation for the spherical potential and apply the restriction that the solutions must be physical (i.e. have a finite probability when integrating the square of the wavefunctions). That leads to solutions that have a main quantum number, the shell n and for each shell a set of subshells l that are numbered 0 .. n-1. And within each subshell a number of orientations m ranging from -l to l.
So shell 1 has one subshell (s), shell 2 as two (2s and 2p), shell 3 has three (3s, 3p, 3d), etc.
Physically, the wavefunctions of a subshell are the possible “spherical harmonics” that together fill the sphere.
Actually, a filled or half-filled subshell is exactly spherically symmetric (Unsold's Theorem).