Hund's rule states that within a subshell, electrons
- A. pair up in the lowest orbital first
- B. occupy separate orbitals singly with parallel spins before any pairing occurs
- C. always have opposite spins
- D. fill the highest energy orbital first
Explanation
Spreading out into empty orbitals minimises electron electron repulsion, so nitrogen's three 2p electrons occupy the three separate p orbitals rather than crowding two into one. This is why so many transition metal ions are paramagnetic. Pairing only begins once every orbital in the subshell holds one electron.
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