Understanding Hund's Rule: The 11th Principle of Electron Configuration

Learn about Hund's rule and its importance in electron configuration for stable atom formation.

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Hund's rule states that electrons will fill degenerate orbitals (those with the same energy) singly before pairing up. This minimizes electron repulsion and maximizes total spin, resulting in more stable electron configurations. In other words, every orbital in a subshell gets one electron before any orbital gets a second.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What is the significance of Hund's rule? Hund's rule is essential for understanding how electrons fill orbitals to achieve stable electron configurations.
  2. How does Hund's rule affect chemical bonding? Hund's rule influences how atoms bond by determining the stability of their electron configurations.
  3. What are degenerate orbitals? Degenerate orbitals are orbitals that have the same energy level and are filled according to Hund's rule.
  4. Can you explain electron pairing in orbitals? Electron pairing occurs when two electrons occupy the same orbital; Hund's rule dictates that this happens only after each orbital in a subshell has one electron.