Why are orbitals named as s, p, d and f? Is there any reason for that?
In: Chemistry
Yes, actually; but the reasons are merely historical now.
As you might know, there are several *quantum numbers* that identify where an electron “is,” or what shell it fits into. One of those numbers is the *angular momentum number* ℓ, and it’s this number we’re interested in.
In the early days of spectroscopy, scientists noted that some series of spectral lines of alkali metals — those corresponding to ℓ-values of zero through three — appeared to be **s**harp, **p**rincipal in nature, **d**iffuse in nature, and **f**undamentally related to hydrogen lines, in order.
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