Answer:The actual dihedral angle of gauche butane differs because of a phenomenon known as steric effect.
Explanation: Steric effect is phenomenon that influences the shape and reactivity of ions and molecules caused by nonbonding interactions.
Steric effects goes with electronic effects, which usually tells the shape and reactivity.
Steric effects is a result of repulsive forces between overlapping electron clouds activities. These steric effects will even distort angles and molecular geometries.
In the context of butane, because presence of two bulky methyl groups (-CH3), the steric interference occurs which causes the methyl groups to be some what far apart hence, increasing the dihedral angle between the two methyl groups which in turn, affects the dihedral angles of other groups present in the molecules.
Therefore, the dihedral angles between the hydrogens are not exactly 60 or 180 degrees.
Quantum numbers of the outermost electron in potassium:
.
.
.
Either .
Explanation:
Refer to the electron configuration of a potassium atom. The outermost electron in a ground-state potassium atom is in the orbital (fourth orbital.)
The quantum number (the principal quantum number) specifies the main energy shell of an electron. This electron is in the fourth main energy shell (as seen in the number four in the orbital.) Hence, for this electron.
The quantum number (the angular momentum quantum number) specifies the shape (, , , etc.) of an electron. for orbitals (such as the one that contains this electron.
Quantum numbers and specify the shape of an orbital. On the other hand, the magnetic quantum number specifies the orientation of these orbitals in space.
However, orbitals are spherical. Regardless of the value of , the only possible value for electrons in orbitals is .
The spin quantum number distinguishes between the two electrons in an orbital. The two possible values of are and . Typically, the first electron in an orbital is assigned an upward () spin, which corresponds to .