Pauli exclusion principle — Science definition
No orbital can hold more than two electrons, and those two must have opposite spins.
Where it is taught
- Electron Configuration — Atoms, Electrons & Periodicity, Physical Science: Chemistry, Grade 11
In use
Each energy level is divided into sublevels named s, p, d, and f, and each sublevel is built from orbitals — regions of space that, by the Pauli exclusion principle, hold at most two electrons apiece.
Electron Configuration
Questions using pauli exclusion principle
Problem 1
Briefly state, in your own words, what the Aufbau principle, the Pauli exclusion principle, and Hund's rule each say.
Answer and explanation
Aufbau: fill the lowest-energy sublevels first. Pauli: no orbital can hold more than two electrons, and they must have opposite spins. Hund: within a sublevel, electrons spread out one per orbital before any orbital gets a second electron.