How many orbitals are in an s subshell?

One orbital.

An s subshell has only one orbital because its angular momentum quantum number is zero, and that gives a single magnetic quantum number value of zero, so there is just one place where electrons can be found with that energy and shape. Think of the orbital like a small cloud where an electron is most likely to be; for an s subshell that cloud is spherical and there is only one such cloud at a given energy level. When we describe orbitals with those quantum numbers, the s subshell is the simplest possible case, so there are no extra orientations like you get with p or d orbitals. That single spherical orbital can hold up to two electrons with opposite spins.

A common mistake is thinking that an s subshell has three orbitals because people confuse it with the p subshell that has three orientations; remember p orbitals are different and shaped like dumbbells while s is spherical. Another error is assuming each orbital holds more than two electrons; each orbital can only hold two electrons and the s orbital follows that rule exactly. Finally, some students mix up subshells and shells, so they might say a shell has one orbital; clarify that a shell can contain several subshells and the s subshell within any shell still has only one orbital.

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How Many Orbitals in an s Subshell?

1. s subshell has one orbital
2. l equals 0 gives ml zero
3. orbital is a spherical cloud
4. single orbital at each energy level
5. holds up to 2 electrons

s Subshell Orbitals Explained

1. Confusing s with p subshells
2. Believing orbitals hold more than 2 electrons
3. Mixing up subshells and shells

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