quantum numbers?

Question

Please explain quantum numbers! I know what each of the numbers means, but how do you identify an element based on a set of numbers. So, what does the set n=1 l=0 and m1=-1/2 tell me?

Answer 1

If you know the total number of electrons, that tells you the atomic number directly, so you know which element it is.

If you are given the electron configuration (list of orbitals with numbers of electrons in them), just work out the total number.

But your example seems to be asking something different. n=1 means just what it says, principal quantum number 1. If l = 0, it is an s orbital (for n=1, the only choice available),and ml always has to be a whole number ranging from +l to -l. Do you mean ms = -1/2, which would just mean the state where an electron has its spin pointing downwards?

Answer 2

A quantum quantity describes the energies of electrons in atoms. each and every quantum quantity specifies the fee of a conserved quantity in the dynamics of the quantum equipment. it fairly is any of a series of genuine numbers assigned to a actual equipment that individually represent the properties and mutually specify the state of a particle or of the equipment.