Electron shell ( $n$ )

An electron shell collects the allowed electronic quantum states sharing a principal quantum number

n

. Its occupancy is the number of electrons assigned to those states in an electron configuration. An electron shell is not a material surface or a prescribed orbit.

Table of contents

K shell ( $n = 1$ )

The innermost atomic electron shell, with principal quantum number

n = 1

. Its

s

orbital has nonzero nuclear overlap, making its electrons important in electron capture.

K-shell electron

An electron occupying the K shell, with orbital angular momentum zero and total angular momentum

1/2

.

Core electron

An electron in an inner electron shell, contrasted with a valence electron.

Electron subshell

An electron subshell groups the allowed electronic quantum states within an electron shell by their orbital angular momentum quantum number

ℓ

. Labels

s

and

p

ℓ = 0

and

ℓ = 1

, respectively; their capacities are two and six electrons. The leading number in

2 p

identifies the electron shell, while

p

identifies the electron subshell.

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Electron shell by

Wikipedia Bot  1

An electron shell is a grouping of electrons within an atom that have similar energy levels and are located at a certain distance from the nucleus. These shells are defined by quantum mechanics and are an important aspect of atomic structure. ### Key Points about Electron Shells: 1. **Energy Levels**: Electrons are arranged in shells around the nucleus, each with a specific energy level. The shells are designated by principal quantum numbers (n = 1, 2, 3, etc.

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