Question

What is the maximum number of electrons that an L shell can accommodate? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer 1

We must know the K L M N type of electronic configuration in order to show the maximum number of electrons that L shell can accommodate. The electrons can be dispersed in the electron shell depending on KLMN. The first shell, or energy level, is the K shell, followed by the L shell, the M shell, and so on. With each principal quantum number of n, the KLMN notations represent the total number of electrons.

Complete answer:
Electron in an atom is characterized by a set of four quantum numbers and the maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated in a shell (energy level) is based on principal quantum number (n). The maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated in a shell is calculated by the formula $2{n^2}$ which is the shell number. When n=1, maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated are $\;2 \times {\left( 1 \right)^2} = 2$
We know that the maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated in a shell is calculated by the formula $2{n^2}$ which is the shell number. The maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated in a shell is calculated by the formula $2{n^2}$ which is the shell number.
In case of L shell $n = 2$
Therefore, $2{n^2} = 2{\left( 2 \right)^2} = 8$
Thus L shell can accommodate a maximum number of $8$ electrons.

Note:
Note that shells are not enough to write the electronic configuration of any element. The concept of sub shells is important. The subshells into which electrons are distributed are based on the azimuthal quantum number,denoted by ‘l’, When n=4 the subshells correspond to $l = 0,l = 1,l = 2,$and $l = 3$and are named the s, p, d, and f subshells, respectively. If two electrons are filled in the ‘s’ subshell of the first shell, the electronic configuration is noted as $1{s^2}$.