
Principles of Analog Electronics
66
An old but still-used notation identies the subshells with letters: s (from shape)
identies the subshell l = 0, p (from principal) identies l = 1, d (from diffuse)
identies l = 2, and f (from fundamental) identies l = 3. The notation of the sub-
shellletters s, p, d, f is often used to describe the electronic conguration of the
most external orbital of an atom, that is, the valence orbital.
All electrons in a subshell have the same energy that increases with l:
ls lp ld
0, 1, 2, 3,
==
.
The orbitals can hold a total of two electrons each, and can be considered
the electron paths inside a subshell. ...