Chemistry ocr a question

When do I use orbital vs shell?
What’s the distinct difference between the two
The sub shells are 2s and 2p for example so is the 2s and 2p together the and shell and the orbitals are like where the electrons are so like the thing about electrons having to have different spins and only two of them in each orbital?
Please and thank you for the help

Reply 1

lordaxil

Shell refers to the energy level of electron given by principal quantum number (n = 1, 2, 3... etc) and orbital refers to the spatial distribution of electrons within a shell given by angular momentum (s, p, d, f, etc.) and spin (up or down). We normally refer to px, py and pz as orbitals, whereas p be the subshell. s is both a subshell and an orbital (because there is only one s orbital in that subshell).