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Question

Why do electrons enter the 4s orbital before entering the 3d orbital?


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Solution

According to the Aufbau principle, the lower energy orbitals are filled first after higher energy orbitals are filled.

The energy of the orbital can be determined by the (n+l) rule:

For 3d orbital:

,n=3andl=2

n+l=3+2=5

For 4s orbital

n=4andl=0

n+l=4+0=4

Therefore, it is clear that the 4s orbital has lesser energy as compared to 3d orbital.

So, the electrons enter the 4s orbital before entering the 3dorbital.


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