The number of electrons in each subshell (s, p, d, f) is fixed: s holds 2, p holds 6, d holds 10, and f holds 14. These subshells fill in a specific order to determine the electron configuration of an atom.
According to the reference, "The s-subshell can fit 2 electrons, p-subshell can fit a maximum of 6 electrons, d-subshell can fit a maximum of 10 electrons, and f-subshell can fit a maximum of 14 electrons".
Here's a breakdown of the maximum electron capacity for each subshell:
| Subshell | Maximum Number of Electrons |
|---|---|
| s | 2 |
| p | 6 |
| d | 10 |
| f | 14 |
The total number of electrons in each shell is the sum of the electrons in its subshells. The first shell (n=1) has only the 1s subshell and can thus only contain 2 electrons. Higher numbered shells will have more subshells.
