Which one of the following statements about orbital energies is incorrect?
A)In the hydrogen atom, the energy of an orbital depends only on the value of the quantum number n.
B)In many-electron atoms the energy of an orbital depends on both n and l.
C)Inner electrons shield outer electrons more effectively than do electrons in the same orbital.
D)The splitting of sublevels in many-electron atoms is explained in terms of the penetration effect.
E)The energy of a given orbital increases as the nuclear charge Z increases.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The energy of a given orbital actually decreases as the nuclear charge Z increases due to increased electrostatic attraction between the electron and the nucleus. This is known as the "effective nuclear charge" and is responsible for the trend in atomic size on the periodic table.

Which One of the Following Statements About Orbital Energies Is