Degeneracy

[KarlaArevalo2F]

What does it mean for energy levels to be degenerate ? Is it that there are multiple orbitals, like in p?

[Matthew D 3F]

Degeneracy entails the orbital of a shell all having the same energy.

[zoepamonag4C]

all the orbitals of a shell have the same energy

[Swetha Ampabathina1I]

It typically means that all the electron energy levels/ shells have the same energy. For example in the p orbitals, if the 2px, 2py, and 2pz orbitals all have the same energy level then the degeneracy is 3 for the 2p orbitals.

[Diana Bibireata 1B]

The textbook says that if something is degenerate it has the same energy. For example, atomic orbitals that are in the same sub shell.

[Esther Ahn 4I]

Also, when an atom only contains a single electron (like a Hydrogen atom), if it has the same principle quantum number (n), then it is degenerate. For example, a 2s and a 2p orbital would be degenerate.

[Tony Ong 3K]

You can also think of degeneracy as when we learned the quantum numbers. The values of Ml represent the number of degeneracy.
In a 2s orbital, n=2 and l=0, therefore the only value for Ml is 0. Therefore there is 1 degeneracy.
In a 3p orbital, n=3 and l=1, therefore the values for Ml is -1, 0, 1. Therefore there are 3 degeneracy.
In a 4d orbital, n=4 and l= 2, therefore the values for Ml is -2, -1, 0, 1, 2. Therefore there are 5 degeneracy.