(a) What are "valence electrons"? (b) What are "core electrons"? (c) What does each box in an orbital diagram represent? (d) What quantity is represented by the half arrows in an orbital diagram?

Short Answer

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(a) Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom, involved in chemical reactions and determining the element's chemical properties and bonding behavior. (b) Core electrons are the electrons in the inner shells of an atom, not involved in chemical reactions or bonding, but contributing to the shielding effect. (c) Each box in an orbital diagram represents an individual orbital within a subshell of an atom, which can hold up to two electrons with opposite spins. (d) Half arrows in an orbital diagram represent electrons in an orbital, with the arrow direction denoting the spin of the electron (+1/2 or -1/2).

Step by step solution

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(a) Definition of Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the electrons present in the outermost shell of an atom. These electrons are involved in chemical reactions and determine the chemical properties of an element. They are responsible for the bonding behavior of the element with other atoms.
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(b) Definition of Core Electrons

Core electrons are the electrons that are not located in the outermost shell of an atom. They are present in the inner shells and are not directly involved in chemical reactions or bonding. Core electrons contribute to the shielding effect, which reduces the effective nuclear charge experienced by valence electrons.
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(c) Meaning of Each Box in an Orbital Diagram

Each box in an orbital diagram represents an individual orbital within a subshell of an atom. An orbital is a region in the electron cloud of an atom where there is a high probability of finding an electron. Each orbital can hold up to two electrons with opposite spins. In an orbital diagram, the different subshells (s, p, d, f) are represented by rows, and the individual orbitals within each subshell are represented by boxes.
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(d) Significance of Half Arrows in an Orbital Diagram

The half arrows in an orbital diagram represent the individual electrons present in an orbital. The direction of the arrow (upwards or downwards) denotes the spin of the electron, which can be either spin up (+1/2) or spin down (-1/2). The presence of two half arrows in a box, one pointing up and the other pointing down, indicates that the orbital is fully occupied by two electrons with opposite spins, in accordance with Pauli's Exclusion Principle.

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