Degeneracy

[Madelyn Cearlock]

Can someone please explain exactly what degeneracy means? I am having a hard time understanding it.

[Kristen Kim 2K]

Degenerate refers to orbitals with the same energy. For example, 2p would have three degenerate orbitals, 2px 2py 2pz, because they are in the same n=2 energy level.

[Nathan Mariano 2G]

Degeneracy is defined as having two or more quantum states in a quantized energy level. For example, the p orbital has three degeneracies because it has three quantum states (or three orbitals of the same energy). The d orbital has five degeneracies because it has five quantum states (or five orbitals of the same energy).

[Millicent Navarro 1I]

When speaking in terms of degeneration, this refers to all the orbitals having the same energy. For example, the three orbitals in 3p are considered to be degenerate because they have the same energy.

[Ahmed Mahmood 4D]

As many answers have stated, degeneracy refers to the number of possible quantum states on an energy level. A question might ask something like, 'How many degenerate orbitals are there in the p orbital of a carbon atom at ground level?' In this case, there are two degenerate orbitals in the p orbital. This is because there exist two orbitals that are occupied, and both of them have the same number of electrons with the same spin (2p1 and 2p2).