Spin of ½ means that only two particles can be in the same state. This is why electrons reside in pairs in systems of intricate orbitals instead of all together. The enormous variety of different ...

The electron configuration for hydrogen can be written as 1s 1, where: 1 = The principal quantum number ( n ) or shell. s = The angular momentum number ( l ) or sub-shell.

Physicists have filled in some longtime blank spaces on the periodic table, calculating electron affinities of the lanthanides, a series of 15 elements known as rare earths.

The researchers captured these atoms in a mist of cadmium iodide and deposited them onto a metal surface heated to more than 2,700 kelvin. The intense heat was enough to kick one electron off some ...