The maximum number of electrons that a p-orbital can accommodate is

Options

A. 6
B. 2
C. 10
D. 14

Answer

To determine the maximum number of electrons that a p-orbital can accommodate, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the structure of p-orbitals
P-orbitals are a type of atomic orbital that can hold electrons. Each p-orbital has a specific shape and orientation in space. There are three p-orbitals in a given energy level, usually denoted as px, py, and pz.

**Hint:** Remember that each p-orbital corresponds to a specific orientation in three-dimensional space.

### Step 2: Determine the number of p-orbitals
In each principal energy level (n), there are three p-orbitals. This means that for any given energy level where p-orbitals exist (starting from n=2), there are three distinct p-orbitals.

**Hint:** The number of p-orbitals is always three, regardless of the energy level.

### Step 3: Calculate the maximum number of electrons per p-orbital
Each p-orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons. According to the Pauli exclusion principle, these two electrons must have opposite spins.

**Hint:** Recall that each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons, one with spin-up and one with spin-down.

### Step 4: Calculate the total number of electrons in all p-orbitals
Since there are three p-orbitals and each can hold 2 electrons, the total number of electrons that can be accommodated in all three p-orbitals is:
\[ \text{Total electrons} = \text{Number of p-orbitals} \times \text{Electrons per p-orbital} = 3 \times 2 = 6 \]

**Hint:** Multiply the number of p-orbitals by the maximum number of electrons each can hold to find the total.

### Conclusion
The maximum number of electrons that a p-orbital can accommodate is **6**.

**Final Answer:** 6