How many electrons can the fourth energy level hold according to Niels Bohr?

2 Answers
May 10, 2014

The fourth energy level has 18 electrons.

The fourth energy level of the periodic table includes the 4s 3d and 4p orbitals.

The 4s orbital holds 2 electrons
The 3d orbital holds 10 electrons
and
The 4p orbital holds 6 electrons.

There is a 4d orbital with 10 electrons which coincides with the 5th energy level of the periodic table.

There is also a 4f orbital with 14 electrons, but this coincides with the 6th energy level of the periodic table.

I hope this was helpful.
SMARTERTEACHER

Jan 24, 2018

#32# electrons.

Explanation:

(This was originally a comment.)

@Brian M. wrote that it was #18# electrons, but here are my reasons for it being #32# electrons instead.

Method 1:
The expression that we can use to calculate the maximum number of electrons given energy level is #2n^2#, with #n# being the energy level.
The fourth energy level, therefore, should have #2*(4)^2 = 2*16 = 32# electrons.

Method 2:
The fourth energy level doesn't necessarily equate to the fourth period in the periodic table.

The maximum number of electrons to be gained in the fourth period is #18#, because we have:

Alexia Allison on SlidePlayer

  • #2# electrons from the #4s# orbital series;
  • #10# electrons from #3d# orbital series; and
  • #6# electrons from #4p# orbital series.

#2 + 10 + 6 = 18# electrons.

However, this doesn't include other fourth energy level orbitals, like #4d# and #4f#. It also includes the #3d# orbitals, which is in the third energy level.

The fourth energy level, however, is composed of the #4s, 4d, 4p,# and #4f# orbital series—the #4# in front means that it's in the fourth energy level.

That would give us:

  • #2# electrons from the #4s# orbital series;
  • #6# electrons from #4p# orbital series;
  • #10# electrons from #4d# orbital series; and
  • #14# electrons from #4f# orbital series.

#2 + 6 + 10 + 14 = 32# electrons.