Question:easy

Two electrons occupying the same orbital are distinguished by

Show Hint

Think of the first three quantum numbers as the zip code, street, and house address of an orbital. Since two electrons can live in the same "house" (orbital), they can only be told apart by their individual direction of rotation—one spins clockwise ($+\frac{1}{2}$), and the other spins counter-clockwise ($-\frac{1}{2}$).
Updated On: Jun 12, 2026
  • Principal quantum number
  • Azimuthal quantum number
  • Magnetic quantum number
  • Spin quantum number
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Picture what an orbital actually is.
An orbital is a region of space described completely by a fixed set of the first three quantum numbers. So before we even talk about the electrons inside it, the orbital itself locks in three values.
Step 2: List the three numbers fixed by the orbital.
The principal quantum number $n$ fixes the shell (size), the azimuthal quantum number $l$ fixes the subshell shape, and the magnetic quantum number $m_l$ fixes the orientation. Once we say two electrons sit in the same orbital, all three of these are automatically identical for them.
Step 3: Recall the rule that governs electrons.
The Pauli Exclusion Principle states that no two electrons in one atom can carry the exact same set of all four quantum numbers $n, l, m_l, m_s$.
Step 4: Find where the difference must hide.
Since $n$, $l$ and $m_l$ are already forced to be the same for both electrons, the only number left that can differ is the fourth one, the spin quantum number $m_s$.
Step 5: Confirm the spin values are valid.
The spin quantum number takes only two values, $m_s = +\tfrac{1}{2}$ and $m_s = -\tfrac{1}{2}$, which neatly allows exactly two electrons per orbital and no more.
Step 6: Match to the options.
Principal, azimuthal and magnetic quantum numbers are identical, so they cannot distinguish the pair. The distinguishing factor is the spin quantum number, option (4).
\[ \boxed{\text{Spin quantum number distinguishes the two electrons}} \]
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