How many orbits are contained in an atom with atomic number 13?

Answer Details

The atomic number of an element tells us the number of protons in its nucleus. For an electrically neutral atom, the number of electrons is equal to the number of protons. The electronic configuration of an atom with atomic number 13 is: 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p¹. The electronic configuration tells us that there are three occupied energy levels or orbits, namely the first, second, and third energy levels. The first energy level has a maximum of 2 electrons, the second energy level has a maximum of 8 electrons, while the third energy level can hold a maximum of 18 electrons. Therefore, an atom with atomic number 13 has 3 energy levels, which are occupied by 13 electrons. So the answer is 3.