Which statement about the p sublevel (ℓ = 1) is true?

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Multiple Choice

Which statement about the p sublevel (ℓ = 1) is true?

The p sublevel shows how many electrons it can hold based on the number of orbitals and how electrons pair in each orbital. For a p subshell, the angular momentum quantum number is ℓ = 1, so there are 2ℓ + 1 = 3 orbitals, corresponding to mℓ = -1, 0, +1. Each orbital can contain two electrons (one with each spin), giving a total capacity of 3 × 2 = 6 electrons. That makes the statement about holding up to six electrons true. It isn’t just one orbital (there are three), it doesn’t hold eight electrons (the total is 6), and there are three, not four, possible magnetic quantum numbers.

The p sublevel shows how many electrons it can hold based on the number of orbitals and how electrons pair in each orbital. For a p subshell, the angular momentum quantum number is ℓ = 1, so there are 2ℓ + 1 = 3 orbitals, corresponding to mℓ = -1, 0, +1. Each orbital can contain two electrons (one with each spin), giving a total capacity of 3 × 2 = 6 electrons. That makes the statement about holding up to six electrons true. It isn’t just one orbital (there are three), it doesn’t hold eight electrons (the total is 6), and there are three, not four, possible magnetic quantum numbers.

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