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What is Pauli’s Exclusion Principle?

by Team Goseeko

Pauli exclusion principle states that no two electrons present in a single atom will have a similar set, or they will have the same quantum numbers. for example (n, l, ml, and ms).

In simple terms every electron should have its own specific state, its also called the signet state the electrons have a mandatory(singlet state).

There are two important rules or features of the Pauli Exclusion Principle follows:

  • The same orbital can be occupied by two electrons only.
  • The two electrons that are present in the same orbital must have opposite spins or
  • it should be antiparallel.

Pauli’s exclusion principle not only applies to electrons but also to half-integer spin such as fermions. It is however not applicable to particles having an integer spin such as bosons having symmetric wave functions.

Moreover, bosons can share or have the same quantum states, unlike fermions.

Formulation of the Principle

The principle formulated by an Austrian physicist named Wolfgang in the year 1925. The principle basically describes the behaviour of electrons,

In the year 1940 the Pauli’s Exclusion principle expands , to cover the fermions under spin-statistics theorem.

On the other hand, the principle describes the elementary particles such as quarks, electrons, neutrinos, and baryons, these form the elementary particles of the fermion

In the year 1945,Wolfgang Pauli was also awarded the Nobel prize for his discovery of Pauli exclusion principle, and for his overall contribution in the field of quantum mechanics

Pauli Exclusion Principle in Chemistry

In chemistry, the electron shell structure of atoms is determined by the Pauli’s exclusion principle .

The atom that is involved in donating the electron in a shell is also predicted by the Pauli’s Exclusion principle.

The principle therefore is very effective with respect to atoms when we look at the atoms whenever it gains a new electron or electrons,

It usually moves to the lowest energy state or it shifts to the outermost shell. If the state has one electron, then it can either be spin-up or spin down.

However, Pauli Exclusion Principle  is not applicable to electrons. It is applicable to other particles applies to other particles of half-integer spin such as fermions. It is not relevant for particles with an integer spin such as bosons which have symmetric wave functions.

Moreover, bosons can share or have the same quantum states, unlike fermions.

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