A Level Chemistry OCR Practice Exam

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What is a shell in atomic structure?

  1. A specific type of atomic orbital

  2. A group of orbitals with the same principal quantum number

  3. A collection of electrons within an atom

  4. A series of energy levels within the nucleus

The correct answer is: A group of orbitals with the same principal quantum number

In atomic structure, a shell refers to a group of orbitals that share the same principal quantum number, which is represented by the variable 'n'. This principal quantum number indicates the average distance of the electrons from the nucleus and essentially defines the energy level of the electrons. The higher the value of 'n', the further the shell is from the nucleus and the higher the energy of the electrons within that shell. Each shell can contain multiple atomic orbitals, which can hold electrons, but they all share the same value of 'n'. For example, the first shell (n=1) can contain the 1s orbital, the second shell (n=2) contains the 2s and 2p orbitals, and so on. Therefore, defining a shell as a group of orbitals with the same principal quantum number accurately describes its fundamental role in the arrangement of electrons in an atom.

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