Which statement concerning the electrons surrounding the nucleus of an atom is NOT correct?

a) When 2 electrons pair together, they have opposite spins.

b) The number of the electrons in an isolated neural atom is equal to the atomic number

c) The second main energy level can have any number of electrons up to ten

d) The attraction of the electrons by the nucleus helps determine the size of the atom

e) No more that 2 electrons can occupy a single orbital

I thought c was wrong.

you're right

You are correct. Statement c is incorrect. The second main energy level, or the second electron shell, can hold a maximum of 8 electrons, not 10.

To determine which statement is not correct, let's break down each option:

a) When 2 electrons pair together, they have opposite spins.
This statement is correct. According to the Pauli exclusion principle, when two electrons occupy the same orbital, their spins are opposite.

b) The number of the electrons in an isolated neutral atom is equal to the atomic number.
This statement is correct. The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, and since atoms are electrically neutral, the number of electrons is also equal to the atomic number.

c) The second main energy level can have any number of electrons up to ten.
This statement is incorrect. The maximum number of electrons in the second main energy level is eight, not ten. This is due to the distribution of electrons in the energy levels according to the 2n^2 rule, where "n" represents the main energy level.

d) The attraction of the electrons by the nucleus helps determine the size of the atom.
This statement is correct. The attraction between the negatively charged electrons and the positively charged nucleus determines the size of the atom. The stronger the attraction, the smaller the atom.

e) No more than 2 electrons can occupy a single orbital.
This statement is correct. According to the Pauli exclusion principle, each orbital can accommodate a maximum of two electrons, with opposite spins.

Based on the analysis, the statement that is not correct is:

c) The second main energy level can have any number of electrons up to ten.