Which characteristic of an electron in an atom is determined by the angular momentum quantum number (l)?

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

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the angular momentum quantum number, denoted as \(l\), is one of the four quantum numbers used to describe the unique quantum state of an electron in an atom.
2. Recall that the principal quantum number \(n\) determines the energy level or shell of the electron, while the magnetic quantum number \(m_l\) determines the orientation of the orbital in space.
3. Recognize that the spin quantum number \(m_s\) describes the spin direction of the electron, which is independent of \(l\).
4. Focus on the role of the angular momentum quantum number \(l\), which defines the shape of the atomic orbital (such as s, p, d, f orbitals corresponding to \(l=0,1,2,3\) respectively).
5. Conclude that the characteristic of an electron determined by \(l\) is the shape of the atomic orbital it occupies.