An atomic orbital can contain up to how many electrons?

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To answer how many electrons an atomic orbital can contain, we must examine each option carefully and connect it to the fundamental rules of electron configuration.
Option a: '1' — This is incorrect because, while an orbital can hold at least one electron, the Pauli exclusion principle requires that two electrons with opposite spins can occupy the same orbital. Therefore, a single orbital can accommodate two electrons, not just one.
Option b: '2' — This is the correct choice. An atomic orbital can hold up to two electrons, provided their spins are opposite (one spin-up, one spin-down). This arises from the combination of quantum occupancy rules and the Pauli exclusion principle, which forbids two electrons in the same orbital from having the same set of quantum numbers.
Option c: '5' — This is incorrect. An orbital is defined by a specific set of quantum numbers (n, l, m_l, m_s). There are far more electrons that can exist in an atom overall, but a single orbital is specifically limited to at most two due to spin degeneracy and the exclusion principle; five would imply multiple electrons sharing identical quantum numbers, which is not allowed.
Option d: '10' — This is also incorrect. The maximum occupancy of an individual orbital remains two electrons. A value like ten would violate the distinct spin and quantum-number constraints that govern orbital occupancy and would contradict fundamental atomic theory.

CHM1051 MUM S2 2025 CHM1051 Practice Exam 1

An atomic orbital can contain up to how many electrons?

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