Core Science · EN

Hund's rule

Hund’s rule describes the lowest-energy filling pattern within a set of degenerate orbitals: electrons occupy different orbitals with parallel spins before pairing, in the usual atomic model.

Why scientists care

Hund’s rule describes the lowest-energy filling pattern within a set of degenerate orbitals: electrons occupy different orbitals with parallel spins before pairing, in the usual atomic model.

It helps explain ground-state electron configurations and magnetic behaviour, but it belongs to a broader quantum-mechanical energy picture.

A concrete example

In equal-energy orbitals, electrons occupy separate orbitals before pairing, which helps explain atomic magnetic behaviour.

Try to notice

Science becomes memorable when a definition is connected to something measurable or observable.

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