Does the principal quantum number refer to the period that the element is in? If not what does it refer to?

Question

How do you assign it? Please back up with sources. Thanks

Answer 1

Yes, the principle quantum number is also the number of the period of the element.

The principle quantun number refers to the energy level (from the nucleus) that the electron inhabits.

Answer 2

It comes out when you're trying to solve the schrödinger wave equation for the hidrogen atom ( after that you can generalized to other elements ) ..You assume that the potential energy is the energy correspondent to the interaction between the electron and the nucleus ( kq^2/r) .. to solved it you separe the solution in spherical coordinates, so there is a Radial part, and the angular parts (wich are ugly cause you solved those with armonics and it's sort of cumbersome ..yuck! ) ; that way you end up having three related equations..from one of those: The equation of the Radial part it comes out the principal quantum number , in solving the equation you'll see that n can only have integer numbers...
Well, in generalizing that to an atom with many more electrons, and adding some corrections ( like considering the relativistics effects cause the e- travels very fast to consider a Coulomb potential energy ..wich is for electrostatics , wich means you were somehow cheating in the first part :P) you end up having the n number related to the energy levels of the atom ; it's the first to indicate the state of an electron (the state is determined by 4 numbesr) ..when you assign e-s to the shells of the atom , beginning with the lowest quantum numbers and up until you have all the e-s ( given by the Z number) , the n number names this shell , then once you have the n you can determined the l number ( it also comes out solving the other 2 differential equations that rests ) and to make it annoying the put a letter for each value of l , like l=0 is s, l=1 is p...etc.
Well, I hope this helps, that's what I remembered from a class about the hydrogen atom, it's interesting but it gets boring when you add all those corrections and stuff. I also found some sources that may help you, Good Luck! :)

Answer 3

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1: 1 (it refers to sodium element) 2: n - tells you the period of the element.This number therefore has a dependence only on the distance between the electron and the nucleus (ie, the radial coordinate, r). The average distance increases with n, and hence quantum states with different principal quantum numbers are said to belong to different shells. l = tell you the subshell (like s, p, d or f) this quantum number is very important, since it specifies the shape of an atomic orbital and strongly influences chemical bonds and bond angles. In some contexts, l=0 is called an s orbital, l=1, a p orbital, l=2, a d orbital and l=3, an f orbital. m(l) = tell you the number of electrons in the sub-shell.This is the projection of the orbital angular momentum along a specified axis. m(s) = pairing of electrons. Electron spin. you need to review your basic chemistry especially the periodic table.