Quantum Mechanical Model

of an Atom
Module 1 in Science 9
Second Quarter, Week 1

Sharon Q. Domeris
Developer
Department of Education. Cordillera Administrative Region
 Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BENGUET
Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet

Published by:

Learning Resource Management and Development System

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

2020

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created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit.”

This material has been developed for the implementation of the K-12
Curriculum through the Curriculum Implementation Division (CID)-Learning Resource
Management and Development System (LRMDS). It can be reproduced for education
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creating an edited version, an enhancement or a supplementary work are permitted
provided all original work is acknowledged and the copyright is attributed. No work
may be derived from the material for commercial purposes and profit.

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 What I Need to Know

Neils Bohr refined Rutherford`s model of the atom because light is given off by
vaporized atoms of different elements falls within the visible spectrum. The color,
number and position of lines identify an element. Each line corresponds to a definite
wavelength and energy. However, Bohr`s model was later replaced by Quantum
Mechanical model which was proposed by Erwin Schrodinger because it could not
explain the line spectra of other elements.

Learning Objectives: In this module, you are expected to:

1. Describe how it is likely to find an electron of an atom based

on Quantum Mechanical Model;
2. Draw the geometrical shape of orbitals; and
3. Compute for the number of orbitals per sublevel (n2).

Before you start this module, be reminded of the following:

General Instructions:

1. Read and comprehend all parts of the module.

2. Follow all instructions carefully.
3. Do not proceed to the next activity without completing the preceding ones.
4. Ask the assistance of your parent, teacher and/ or the developer.
5. Make sure that all outputs are neat and readable.

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 What I Know

Direction: Read the questions carefully and choose the letter of the correct answer.
Write your answer on the line provided before each number.

___ 1. Which of the following is the instrument used to see the line emission
spectrum?
A. hand lens B. microscope C. spectroscope D. telescope

___ 2. Which of the following describes the relationship between energy of light and
its wavelength?
A. direct proportion C. both a & b
B. inverse proportion D. cannot be determined

___ 3. Which of the following describes the relationship of the orbit`s radius to the
energy of the electron in that orbit?
A. direct proportion C. both a & b
B. inverse proportion D. cannot be determined

___ 4. The formula used to determine the maximum no. of electrons that can fill each
orbit is_____?
A. 2n2 B.2n3 C.n2 D.2n4

___ 5. Which of the following is the formula used to determine the no. of orbitals for
each sublevel?
A. 2n2 B.2n3 C.n2 D.2n4
____ 6. How many bright lines are seen in the line spectrum of hydrogen?
A.3 B.4 C.2 D.5

___ 7. Which of the following is the shape of an s-orbital?

A. dumbbell-shaped C. both a & b
B. spherical- shaped D. cannot be determined

___ 8. Which of the following is the shape of the p-orbital?

A. dumbbell-shaped C. both a & b
B. spherical- shaped D. cannot be determined

___ 9. Which of the following describes the behavior of electrons seen as a fast
spinning electron cloud?
A. certainty principle C. Hund’s Rule Principle
B. uncertainty principle D. None of the above

___10. Which of the following describes the orbitals having equal energy?
A. atomic orbitals C. uncertain orbitals
B. degenerate orbitals D. both A & B

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___11. Who proposed the probability that electrons can be found in indefinite location
around the nucleus of the atom?
A. Erwin Schrodinger C. J.J. Thomson
B. Ernest Rutherford D. Neils Bohr

___12. Which of the following model describes that the electrons are not limited to
fixed orbits around the nucleus of the atom?
A. Nuclear Model C. Plum Pudding Model
B. Planetary model D. Quantum Mechanical model

___13. How many types of degenerate orbitals are there in d- orbital?

A.3 B.4 C.5 D. 6

___ 14. How many types of degenerate orbitals are there in f-orbital?
A.4 B.5 C.6 D. 7

___15. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to Quantum

Mechanical Model?

A. It views electrons as cloud of negative charge having a certain geometrical

shape
B. The model shows that the darker the area, the greater the probability of
finding the electron in that area.
C. The principal quantum number is always equal to the number of sublevels
within that principal energy level.
D. The model cannot explain the line spectra of other elements.

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 What’s In

To help you understand this lesson, let us review the various models of the
atom.

+++
+-+-
+++
+++

Leucippus Dalton Thomson’s Rutherford’s

and Model Plum Nuclear
Democritus (1803) Pudding Model
model (400 Model (1911)
B.C) (1904)

_ +
+ ++
-
+ _

Schrodinger, Born
and other Scientist Sommerfeld Bohr Model
Model (1950’s to Model (1913)
present) (1916)

Figure 1. Summary of the development of the atomic models

Neils Bohr`s model shows that electrons

occupy orbits or shells that are at fixed
distances from the nucleus which is not
present in Rutherford`s model of the
atom. As the radius of each orbit
increases, so does the energy of the
2 4
electron in that orbit. Each orbit is
3
assigned a principal quantum number
(n) that can
have the values 1, 2, 3 and so on
depending on its radius. The greater the
value of n, the greater the energy
associated with the orbit.

Figure 2: The Bohr’s Model

Illustrated by Ms. Sharon Domeris
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 What’s New

In Quantum Mechanical model of the atom, electrons are not limited at fixed
orbits around the nucleus. There is only a probability that the electrons can be found
at certain region of space around the nucleus called atomic orbitals. Thus, we can
only guess the most probable location of the electron at certain time to be within a
certain volume of space surrounding the nucleus.

Activity: Describe me!

Direction: Study/observe carefully the figure below; describe the probable location of
the electrons in the energy levels based from Quantum Mechanical Model. Answer
the guide questions briefly.

Guide Questions:

1. Which energy level has the least

no. of electrons represented by
dots?

2. Which energy level has the most

no. of electrons represented by
dots?
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3. What is your basis for your

answer in no.1 & 2?

What Is It

The activity in the What’s New shows what the three physicists namely Louie de
Broglie, Erwin Schrodinger, and Werner Karl Heisenberg found out: it is not possible
to know the exact position of the electron. An electron could be found in various
locations around the nucleus. The darker the area, the greater is the probability of
finding the electron in that area.
.

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 The probability of finding an electron
within a certain volume of space
surrounding the nucleus can be
represented as a fuzzy cloud.
The cloud is more dense where the
probability of finding the electron is
high.

Figure 3:The Quantum Mechanical Model

Image source: slide share .net

Schrodinger formulated a mathematical equation describing the behavior of the

electron seen as a fast-spinning electron cloud having geometrical shape thus; its
location cannot be exactly known (uncertainty principle).

Figure 4 : The Electron Cloud

Image source: slide share .net

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 Atomic orbitals have
particular shapes and direction
in space.

Figure 5: An Orbital
Image source: slide share .net

The s orbitals are spherical. Due to the

spherical shape of s orbital the
probability in finding an electron at a
distance from the nucleus does not
depend on direction unlike p orbitals
which are oriented along x, y and z
axes. There is only one degenerate
orbital for s orbital.
Figure 6: The s-orbital
Image source: slide share .net
p orbitals are dumbbell-shaped. Dumbbell consists of two lobes, positioned 1800 with
respect to each other. The three have same size and shape but different orientations.
The lobes lie in p, y and z of the Cartesian coordinate system, and are designated as
py, px and pz .Degenerate orbitals that have equal energies. There are three
degenerate orbitals for p. : The p- has three degenerate orbitals which are oriented
along x, y and z axes.

Figure 7: The p-orbital

Image source: slide share .net

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 Other types of orbitals with more
complex shapes are found for n>1 like
shapes of d and f orbitals. There are five
degenerate orbitals for d and seven for
f- orbital. Electrons are distributed in
these orbitals. A maximum of 2,6,10 and
14 electrons occupy the s,p,d, and f
atomic orbitals respectively.

Figure 8: The d-orbital

Image source: slide share .net

Figure 8: The f-orbital

Image source: slide share .net

What’s More

Activity 1: Describe me

Task: Based from activity 1 figure; answer the questions briefly.

1. If you cannot count the no. of electrons represented by the dots per energy
level, what will be your other basis for knowing the probable location of the
electrons?

2. What happens to the number of dots as the distance go farther from the
nucleus?

3. Is there a pattern to the number of dots represented by electrons?

4. How do you describe the location of the electrons around the nucleus according
to Quantum Mechanical model.

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Assessment 1

Direction: Study the s orbital and p orbitals according to Quantum Mechanical Model.
Compare the orbitals by completing the compare and contrast matrix.

Compare and Contrast Matrix

Basis of Comparison s orbitals p orbitals

1.size with increasing
energy level
2.orientation
3.shape
4.probabilty of finding an
electron
5.amount of energy with
increasing energy level

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Activity 2. Draw Me
Direction: Draw the degenerate orbitals of p using the figure below. The first one is done for
you.

y y

x z
z
p py
x
y

z
pz

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Activity 3. Compute me
Direction: Compute the no. of orbitals in each no. of sublevel using the formula (n2)
then fill in the table below.
Main energy Number of Sublevels No. of Orbitals (n2)
level(n) Sublevels
1 1 1s
2 2 2s
2p
3 3 3s
3p
3d
4 4 4p
4p
4d
4f

What I Have Learned

Direction: Complete the following sentences to come up with the key concepts you
have learned in this module.

1. The_____________________ states that___________ are not limited at fixed

orbits around the ___________. There is only a probability that the electrons
can be found at certain region of space around the nucleus
called___________?

2. ______________ formulated the mathematical equation describing the

behavior of electrons seen as a fast____________ electron cloud having
geometrical shape thus, its location cannot be exactly known
called______________ principle.

3. Each energy level consists of energy_____________, and each sublevel

consists of one or more_______________. Electrons are distributed in these
orbitals. A maximum of 2,6,10 and 14 electrons occupy the s,p,d, and f atomic
orbitals, respectively.

4. Orbitals that have equal energies are called_______________ orbitals. The s

has only ___,p has ____, d has_______ and f has _____ degenerate orbitals.

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 What I Can Do

1. As an individual, does your size and shape matter? Why?

2. How does your orientation or upbringing at home affect your life? Cite some
examples/situations.

Post Assessment

Direction: Answer the following items. If you will get at least 12 points, it
means that you have mastered the competency for this module and
you may not answer the additional activity. If you will get lower than
12, you are encouraged to answer the additional activity.
___ 1.Which of the following is the formula used to determine the maximum no. of
electrons that can fill each orbit?
A. 2n2 B.2n3 C.n2 D.2n4

___2. Which of the following formula is used to determine the no. of orbitals for each
sublevel?
A. 2n2 B.2n3 C.n2 D.2n4
___3. How many bright lines are seen in the line spectrum of hydrogen?
A.3 B.4 C.2 D.5

___ 4. Which of following instrument is used to see the line emission spectrum?
A. spectroscope B. microscope C. telescope D. hand lens

___ 5. Which of the following shows a graphical relationship of the energy of light
with its wavelength?
A. direct proportion C. both a & b
B. inverse proportion D. cannot be determined?

___ 6. Which of the following shows the relationship of the orbit`s radius to the
energy of the electron in that orbit?
A. direct proportion C. both a & b
B. inverse proportion D. cannot be determined

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___ 7. Which of the following shows that the electrons are not limited to fixed orbits
around the nucleus of the atom?
A. Quantum Mechanical model C. Nuclear Model
B. Planetary model D. Plum Pudding Model

___ 8. How many types of degenerate orbitals are there in d- orbital?

A.3 B.4 C.5 D. 6

___ 9. How many types of degenerate orbitals are there in f-orbital?

A.4 B.5 C.6 D. 7

___10.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to Quantum

Mechanical Model?
A. It views electrons as cloud of negative charge having a certain
geometrical shape.
B. The model shows that the darker the area, the greater the probability of
finding the electron in that area.
C. The principal quantum number is always equal to the number of sublevels
within that principal energy level.
D. The model cannot explain the line spectra of other elements.

___11.Which of the following is the shape of an s-orbital?

A. spherical- shaped B. dumbbell-shaped C. both a & b D. cannot b
determined
___12. What is the shape of the p-orbital?
A. spherical- shaped C. both a & b
B. dumbbell-shaped D. cannot be determined

___13. Which of the following describes the behavior of electrons seen as a fast
spinning electron cloud
A. uncertainty principle C. both a & b
B. certain principle D. cannot be determined

___14. Which of the following describes the orbitals that has an equal energy?
A. atomic orbitals B. degenerate orbitals C. uncertain orbitals D. both a &b
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___ 15. Who proposed the probability that electrons can be found in indefinite location
around the nucleus of the atom?
A. Neils Bohr B. Erwin Schrodinger C. Ernest Rutherford D. J.J Thomson

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 13
y
pz
p
y x
z
z
x
y y
Activity 2
Assessment1
Basis of Comparison S orbitals P orbitals
1.size with increasing energy level increasing increasing
2.orientation none different
3.shape spherical dumbbell
4.probabilty of finding an electron wave function wave function
5.amount of energy with increasing increasing
increasing energy level
Activity 1
1. Darker areas What’s New:
2. The number of dots increases abruptly then Activity: Describe Me 5.C 10.B 15.C
decreases as it goes farther from the nucleus. 1. energy level no.1 4.A 9.B 14.D
3. None 2. energy level no.3 3.A 8.A 13.C
4. According to Quantum Mechanical model 3. no .of dots 2.B 7.B 12.D
the electrons are not limited to fixed orbits representing the 1.C 6.C 11.A
around the nucleus (uncertainty principle). electrons Pre-assessment
Answer Key
orientations of the orbitals.
like old newspapers and old plastic products for you to visualize the shapes and
Direction: Make a model of s and one p orbital using recyclable materials at home
Model Making:
Additional Activity
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Post assessment
Additional Activity 1. A 6. A 11.A
Answer may vary 2. C 7. A 12.B
3. B 8. C 13.A
4. B 9. D 14.B
5. B 10.D 15.B
What I have learned
1. The Quantum Mechanical model describes the electrons are not limited at fixed orbits around the
nucleus. There is only a probability that the electrons can be found at certain region of space
around the nucleus called atomic orbitals.
2. Erwin Schrodinger formulated a mathematical equation describing the behavior of electrons see as
fast spinning electron cloud having geometrical shape thus; its location cannot be exactly known
called uncertainty principle.
3. Each energy level consists of energy sublevels; and each sublevel consists of one or more atomic
orbitals.
4.Orbitals that have equal energies are called degenerate orbitals. The s orbital has only one, p has three,
d has five and f has seven degenerate orbitals
4f
4d
16 4p
4p 4 4
3d
9 3p
3s 3 3
4 2p
2s 2 2
1 1s 1 1
No. of Orbitals (n2) Sublevels Number of Sublevels Main energy level(n)
Activity 3
Pz
PxPy
x z
 References

Foundation for Upgrading the Standard of Education, Inc.

Teaching Support Materials for High School Chemistry
Volume 2, 2007

Alvarez, Liza A.et.al. Science Grade 9 Learner’s Module

1st edition, 2014

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 Feedback Note

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call

Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Cordillera Administrative Region
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF BENGUET
Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet

Telefax: 074-422-6570
Email address: benguet @ deped.gov.ph

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