Subshell in AP Chemistry

Definition

A subshell is a specific energy level within an electron shell. Subshells are labeled with letters (s, p, d, f) and can hold a maximum number of electrons based on their orbital type.

Related terms

Electron configuration: Electron configuration refers to the arrangement of electrons in an atom's orbitals and subshells.

Orbital: An orbital is a three-dimensional region around an atomic nucleus where there is high probability of finding an electron.

Aufbau principle: The Aufbau principle states that electrons fill lower-energy orbitals before occupying higher-energy orbitals when building up the electron configuration of an atom.