What is the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single p orbital?

• A. 2
• B. 6
• C. 3
• D. 1

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that an orbital is a region in space where there is a high probability of finding an electron. Each orbital can hold a specific maximum number of electrons based on the Pauli Exclusion Principle.
2. Understand that a p orbital is one of the three types of orbitals (s, p, d, f) and has a dumbbell shape. Each p subshell contains three p orbitals (px, py, pz), but the question asks about a single p orbital, not the entire p subshell.
3. Apply the Pauli Exclusion Principle, which states that each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons, and these electrons must have opposite spins.
4. Therefore, the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single p orbital is 2.
5. Note that while a p subshell has three orbitals and can hold up to 6 electrons in total, each individual p orbital can only hold 2 electrons.