Question

part a
which electron is, on average, farther from the nucleus: an electron in a 3p orbital or an electron in a 4p orbital?
on average, the 3p electron is farther from the nucleus because it is in a larger orbital.
on average, the 4p electron is farther from the nucleus because it is in a larger orbital.
on average, the 3p electron is farther from the nucleus because it is in a smaller orbital.
on average, the 4p electron is farther from the nucleus because it is in a smaller orbital.

Explanation:

In atomic structure, the principal quantum number \(n\) (where \(n = 3\) for \(3p\) and \(n=4\) for \(4p\)) determines the size of the orbital. As \(n\) increases, the size of the orbital increases. So, a \(4p\) orbital (with \(n = 4\)) is larger than a \(3p\) orbital (with \(n = 3\)). An electron in a larger orbital is, on average, farther from the nucleus.

Answer:

On average, the \(4p\) electron is farther from the nucleus because it is in a larger orbital.