Question

The electron density between 1s and 2s is:
a) high
b) low
c) zero
d) abnormal

Answer 1

Electron density is defined as the measure of the probability of finding an electron or of an electron being present at a specific location. 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, etc orbitals are the energy levels in an atom. They contain electrons at various energy levels.
Complete step by step answer:
Orbitals are the 3-D space that surround the nucleus of the atom and have the maximum probability of finding an electron.
1.) The 1s orbital is the one and only orbital of the first shell. The "1" in 1s represents the fact that the orbital is in the energy level that is closest to the nucleus. And the "s" tells you about the shape of the orbital.
2.) The 2s orbital is similar to a 1s orbital except that the region that has the greatest chance of finding the electron is further from the nucleus than 1s orbital is. It is an orbital at the second energy level.
3.) 2s orbital is one of 4 orbitals of the second shell. The others are $2{p}_{x}, 2{p}_{y}, and 2{p}_{z}$.
4.) The 1s orbital is smaller in size than the 2s orbital.
5.) The first two electrons of an atom are present in the 1s orbital while the next two go to the 2s orbital.
6.) "s" orbitals are known to be spherically symmetric around the nucleus , like a hollow ball with the nucleus at its centre.
7.) There are no electrons present in between the orbitals. Thus, the electron density between the orbitals is zero. This implies, that the electron density between the 1s and 2s orbitals is zero.
Hence, option (c) is the correct answer.
Note: Orbits and orbitals sound similar, but they have quite different meanings. It is important to know the difference between the two. Orbit is the one that can be defined with a definite plot like planets revolve around the sun along orbits. But the path that is uncertain and cannot be determined is known as orbital-like electrons moving along orbitals because their paths cannot be defined.