Question

Given below are two statements:
Statement-I: The orbitals having same energy are called as degenerate orbitals.
Statement-II: In hydrogen atom, 3p and 3d orbitals are not degenerate orbitals.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given

• A. Statement-I is true but Statement-II is false
• B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are true
• C. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are false
• D. Statement-I is false but Statement-II is true

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Analysis of statements regarding degenerate orbitals:

1. Statement-I: Orbitals with identical energy levels are classified as degenerate orbitals.
   • This statement is accurate. Degenerate orbitals are chemically defined as orbitals possessing the same energy level.
2. Statement-II: Within a hydrogen atom, 3p and 3d orbitals are not degenerate.
   • This statement is incorrect. In a hydrogen atom, characterized by a single electron, all sublevels within a given principal energy level (e.g., \(3p, 3d, \text{ and } 3s\)) exhibit degeneracy due to shared energy.
   • This energy equivalence arises from the uniform nature of electron-nucleus attraction in a one-electron system like hydrogen.

Based on this analysis:

• Statement-I is verified as true; it accurately defines degenerate orbitals.
• Statement-II is invalidated because, in a hydrogen atom, 3p and 3d orbitals share the same energy.

Consequently, the accurate conclusion is: Statement-I is true, while Statement-II is false.