Degenerate orbitals are orbitals within the same subshell that have the same energy level. In a given atom, electrons in degenerate orbitals are equally likely to occupy any of these orbitals.
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They are typically found in p, d, and f subshells where multiple orbitals exist with the same energy.
In the absence of an external field, all three p-orbitals (px, py, pz) in a given shell are degenerate.
Electron repulsion and external fields can lift the degeneracy of these orbitals.
In molecular orbital theory, degenerate bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals can form from atomic orbitals with similar energies.
The concept of degenerate orbitals is crucial for understanding electron configuration and chemical bonding.
A quantum mechanical principle which states that two or more identical fermions (particles with half-integer spin) cannot occupy the same quantum state within a quantum system simultaneously.