## Magnetic Quantum Number (ml)

Amy Kumar 1I
Posts: 114
Joined: Thu Jul 11, 2019 12:15 am

### Magnetic Quantum Number (ml)

How do we know if the magnetic quantum number for orientation for the p orbital is -1,0,1 in relation to px, py, and pz?

Alice Chang 2H
Posts: 101
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:18 am

### Re: Magnetic Quantum Number (ml)

Honestly a little confused on to what you're specifically asking, but I found this online that defines the p-orbital and its configuration numbers:

The magnetic quantum number, ml, represents the orbitals of a given subshell. For a given l, ml can range from -l to +l. A p subshell (l=1), for instance, can have three orbitals corresponding to ml = -1, 0, +1. In other words, it defines the px, py and pzorbitals of the p subshell. (However, the ml numbers don't necessarily correspond to a given orbital. The fact that there are three orbitals simply is indicative of the three orbitals of a p subshell.) In general, for a given l, there are 2l+1 possible values for ml; and in a n principal shell, there are n2 orbitals found in that energy level.

Continuing on from out example from above, the ml values of Iodine are ml = -4, -3, -2, -1, 0 1, 2, 3, 4. These arbitrarily correspond to the 5s, 5px, 5py, 5pz, 4dx2-y2, 4dz2, 4dxy, 4dxz, and 4dyz orbitals.

Hope it helps!

Jessica Tran_3K
Posts: 50
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:17 am

### Re: Magnetic Quantum Number (ml)

I think it was mentioned in lecture that we wouldn't be able to determine which magnetic quantum numbers (-1, 0, 1) are for px, py, pz since it's depends on how the axis is drawn (subjective/varies by person).