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x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:07 pm
by SajaZidan_1K
In class we discussed the example of px,py,pz in relation to electrons. Does x,y,z represent the coordinate plane? Can someone explain the role of x,y,z?

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:13 pm
by Sophia Shaka 3L
I think you have the right idea. I found the visuals in Dr. Lavelle's slides helpful so maybe you should look up visual representations of the various orbitals. For the p subshell, there are 3 orbitals (the x, y, and z you mentioned) and each is in relation to the orientation with a coordinate axis. The electrons could go into these orbitals in any order but they follow Hund's rule by trying to spread out.

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 8:13 pm
by Caitlyn Tran 2E
Yes, x, y, and z refers to the coordinate plane. In general, I believe that the purpose of having the axes is just so that you can describe the orientation of the electron orbital.

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Sat Oct 19, 2019 10:39 pm
by cassidysong 1K
x, y, z, refers to the different planes that electrons are on

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Sun Oct 20, 2019 6:19 pm
by nshahwan 1L
Should we have to indicate x, y, z in answers?

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 1:31 pm
by Sophia Shaka 3L
In class, Dr. Lavelle said it is a better answer when this is specified, but electrons fill orbitals within a subshell randomly, so you could just pick one orbital to specify.

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 4:17 pm
by Dakota Walker 1L
x y z differentiate the spaces electons can go within the P orbital because it has 3 spaces for paired electrons, for the D orbital the letters would be different/longer - I would guess u w x y z but am unsure.

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 4:25 pm
by Heba Mengesha 3D
X,Y,Z is just a label for each of the three orbital subsets.

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:32 pm
by Isha_Maniyar_Dis2E
Adding on to all the previous comments, the X, Y, and Z in the electron configuration indicate the different planes. I also think Dr. Lavelle said it was a good idea to specify this because it shows that the electrons are unpaired.

For example, when you write 1s2 2s2 3px1 3py1 3pz1, you are showing that nitrogen has 3 UNPAIRED electrons in its valence p-shell. It just serves to be more specific and accurate about the placement of the electrons. It also shows that you understand Hund's Rule, which basically says that you have to fill each orbital in a shell with one electron before going back and pairing them.

Hope this helped!

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 6:20 pm
by sarahsalama2E
x,y,z is essentially the planes that the different p-orbitals could be oriented on. There are three orientations or planes--> px,py,pz.This is also just being more specific regarding the electron placement in the p-orbital. Because we know hund's rule, each px,py,pz must be filled with one e- before moving on to add an additional one in each px,py,pz. I'm wondering, so can the electrons fill these randomly, for example pz before px? because technically we don't know...

Re: x,y,z for Electrons

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 9:40 pm
by Michelle N - 2C
I went to a Step-Up program a few hours ago, and I saw that the Px, Py, and Pz were just the three coordinates that were for the p-orbital.

Something like this:
____ ____ ____
Px Py Pz

It's basically the three planes as well (3d graph).