Why Does the Lone Electron in Silver Have Zero Orbital Angular Momentum?

In summary, the remaining electron in the silver atom has zero orbital angular momentum because it is in the ground state and is located in the s shell, which does not contribute to the total angular momentum of the atom. This results in a total angular momentum of zero, and therefore, no magnetic moment due to the core.
  • #1
ENDLESSYOU
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"There are 47 electrons surrounding the silver atom nucleus, of which 46 form a closed inner core of total angular momentum zero – there is no orbital angular momentum, and the electrons with opposite spins pair off, so the total angular momentum is zero, and hence there is no magnetic moment due to the core. The one remaining electron also has zero orbital angular momentum"
Can anyone tell me why the remaining electron has zero orbital angular momentum?
Thanks!
 
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  • #2
It's in the ground state, so that it has zero orbital angular momentum.
 
  • #3
ENDLESSYOU said:
"There are 47 electrons surrounding the silver atom nucleus, of which 46 form a closed inner core of total angular momentum zero – there is no orbital angular momentum, and the electrons with opposite spins pair off, so the total angular momentum is zero, and hence there is no magnetic moment due to the core. The one remaining electron also has zero orbital angular momentum"
Can anyone tell me why the remaining electron has zero orbital angular momentum?
Thanks!

If you google "silver electron configuration", you'll get the answer that it is Kr 4d10 5s1. So, "Kr" tells you that silver electron configuration is like krypton's plus additional 11 electrons. Ten of them fill up 4d shell completely which does not have any angular momentum because there are 5 electrons in each spin orientation and sum of the orbital angular momentum of all electrons in d shell cancels out exactly. All that is left is 11th electron which does not have orbital electron because it is in s shell, so total angular momentum of silver atom is equal to spin of the 5s1 electron.
 

Related to Why Does the Lone Electron in Silver Have Zero Orbital Angular Momentum?

1. What is the Stern-Gerlach experiment?

The Stern-Gerlach experiment is a physics experiment that was conducted in 1922 by Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach. It demonstrated the quantization of angular momentum and the concept of spin in quantum mechanics.

2. How does the Stern-Gerlach experiment work?

In the experiment, a beam of silver atoms is passed through an inhomogeneous magnetic field. The atoms are deflected by the magnetic field and their paths are observed on a screen. The results show that the atoms are deflected into two distinct paths, which can be explained by the quantization of angular momentum and the concept of spin.

3. What was the significance of the Stern-Gerlach experiment?

The Stern-Gerlach experiment provided evidence for the existence of quantized angular momentum and spin in quantum mechanics. It also helped to validate the theory of quantum mechanics and contributed to the development of quantum physics as a whole.

4. What were the conclusions of the Stern-Gerlach experiment?

The Stern-Gerlach experiment concluded that the angular momentum of particles is quantized, meaning it can only take on specific discrete values. This led to the development of the concept of spin, which is a fundamental property of particles in quantum mechanics.

5. How did the Stern-Gerlach experiment impact modern physics?

The Stern-Gerlach experiment played a major role in the development of quantum mechanics and our understanding of the behavior of particles at the atomic level. It also had practical applications in the development of technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and particle accelerators.

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