Question

What is penetration? How is it related to shielding? Use the penetration effect to explain the difference in relative orbital energies of a 3p and a 3d electron in the same atom.

Answer 1

Answer: penetration is the ability of an electron in a given orbital to approach the nucleus closely. Shielding refers to the fact that core electrons reduce the degree of nuclear attraction felt by the orbital electrons. Shielding is the opposite of penetration. The most penetrating orbital is the least screening orbital. The order of increasing shielding effect/decreasing penetration is s<p<d<f.

Explanation:

The order of penetrating power is 1s>2s>2p>3s>3p>4s>3d>4p>5s>4d>5p>6s>4f....

Since the 3p orbital is more penetrating than the 3d orbital, it will lie nearer to the nucleus and thus possess lower energy.