Spin numbers

[Shanzey]

How are we able to find the spin of an electron whether it's +1/2 or -1/2? In addition, what does the spin of an electron mean?

[Prasanna Padmanabham 4I]

Electrons do spin, but the "up" and "down" -1/2 or +1/2 spin-orientation doesn't really matter, as long as you are consistent/mindfull of the antiparallel and parallel spinning.

For more information, you should read this article: https://www.chemicool.com/definition/electron_spin.html

[Jordan Ziegler 2J]

There isn't a way to specifically find the spin of an electron short of direct observation, but you should know this:

In a single orbital, as stated by the Pauli Exclusion Principle, there is only space for two electrons. One electron is spinning on an arbitrary circular path, and the other electron is spinning in the opposite circular direction. Both electrons cannot be spinning in the same directions. Therefore, this translates into quantum numbers as +1/2 and -1/2.

[MeeraBhagat]

You cannot determine the spin of an electron, you just know that one spins up and the other spins down. The spins means more or less the direction of which the electron in moving around the nucleus. Electrons spin in opposite direction in the same subshell in order to maximize stability.

[britthanul234]

You can only know whether the electron spins up or down. It is the direction the electron is moving around the nucleus. They spin in opposite directions for the purpose of stability.