Quantum Numbers, Energy Levels and Orbitals
For the H-atom, the n quantum number from the early Bohr Theory is retained as the first of four quantum numbers. Its legal values are 1, 2, 3, … etc.
The second quantum number is “? ”, almost always written as script “? ”. This is the total angular momentum quantum number, and it varies from 0 in integer steps up to n-1.
- This means that if n = 4, the ? can be 0, 1, 2, or 3, but can not be 4.