How many values of the quantum number l are possible when n = 7?

[Emerald Wong 1B]

How many values of the quantum number l are possible when n = 7? This is a question from the textbook, and I was wondering which is the more correct answer. If we go by the definition that l = n-1, there's 6 possible values. However, l only has values of 0, 1, 2, and 3 according to the periodic table, which means there's only 4 possible values. If we see a question like this, is there a certain way that we should answer, or is either acceptable?

[Chem_Mod]

The correct answer is 6. l only has values of 0, 1, 2, and 3 for elements in the periodic table because it has the electron configurations of elements in their lowest-energy/ground state. That does not mean that electrons can only have values of l of 0, 1, 2, and 3. Electrons can be excited to higher energy states, though that would require an input of energy and therefore the element would be unstable.

[Brian Acevedo 2E]

I have a feeling this question was designed more to test your understanding of how quantum numbers relate to one another as opposed to that of how tangible certain chemical phenomena would be. For that reason, I'd say stick with six because HYPOTHETICALLY, a case in which the principal quantum number has a value of 7 then there would HYPOTHETICALLY be 6 possible values for l.

[JTieu_1L]

l = 1,2,3,4,5,6

l = 1,2,3,... (n-1)

[LukeYing_3H]

The correct answer should still be 6. But the elements in their base states don't go beyond 3 going further would require an input of energy which would make the element unstable.

[Rainy Liu Ruoshui_2K]

Hi!
l is defined to be 0, 1 to n-1. So there can be 6 l when n=7.
However, among the elements that we have discovered, possible subshells can be 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 3d, 4s, 4p, 4d, 4f, 5s, 5p, 5d, 5f, 6s, 6p, 6d, 7s, and 7p.
Thus there are only two subshells when n=7 in the periodic table of elements.