In a multi-electron atom, an electron occupies an orbital whose energy is strictly greater than that of the 4 s orbital but strictly less than that of the 4 p orbital. Which of the following sets of quantum numbers could represent this electron?

Step-by-step solution

The energy of an orbital in a multi-electron atom is determined by the (n+l) rule. The orbital with a higher (n+l) value has higher energy. If two orbitals have the same (n+l) value, the one with the higher principal quantum number n has higher energy. For the 4 s orbital: n=4, l=0 n+l = 4 For the 4 p orbital: n=4, l=1 n+l = 5 The orbital in question must have an energy between 4 s and 4 p . This means it must have n+l = 5 but with a lower n value than 4 p (which has n=4 ). Checking the given options: Option 1: n=4