In a hydrogen atom, what property is determined by the angular momentum quantum number (l)?

• A. The spin of the electron
• B. The orientation of the orbital in space
• C. The energy level of the electron
• D. The shape of the electron's orbital

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the angular momentum quantum number, denoted as \(l\), is one of the four quantum numbers used to describe the state of an electron in an atom.
2. Understand that \(l\) determines the shape of the electron's orbital, which corresponds to different subshells (s, p, d, f, etc.). For example, \(l=0\) corresponds to an s orbital (spherical shape), \(l=1\) to a p orbital (dumbbell shape), and so on.
3. Note that the spin of the electron is described by the spin quantum number \(m_s\), not by \(l\).
4. Recognize that the orientation of the orbital in space is determined by the magnetic quantum number \(m_l\), which depends on \(l\) but is a separate quantum number.
5. Remember that the energy level of the electron is primarily determined by the principal quantum number \(n\), not by \(l\), although \(l\) can influence energy in multi-electron atoms due to electron-electron interactions.