Top topic this week
Back to FAQs
Related FAQs
Frequently Asked Question
Questions asked by users might not always be phrased in the clearest way.
How are the energy of term symbols ordered
Accepted Answer
Term symbols are ordered based on the total angular momentum quantum number (J) and the multiplicity (2S+1). The order is:
Increasing J value: The term symbol with the lowest J value will be the lowest in energy, followed by the term symbol with the next highest J value, and so on.
Increasing multiplicity: Within a given J value, the term symbol with the highest multiplicity will be the lowest in energy.
For example, the term symbols for carbon in its ground state are:
³P₀
³P₁
³P₂
¹D₂
¹S₀
The ³P term symbol has the lowest multiplicity (2S+1 = 3) and the lowest J value (J = 0), so it is the lowest in energy. The ¹D term symbol has a higher multiplicity (2S+1 = 1) and a higher J value (J = 2), so it is higher in energy than the ³P term symbols. The ¹S term symbol has the highest multiplicity (2S+1 = 1) and the highest J value (J = 0), so it is the highest in energy.
Articles you might like