What is "if a shell can hold a maximum of 32 electrons?

A shell's maximum electron capacity is determined by the formula 2n², where 'n' is the principal quantum number representing the shell number. For the fifth shell (n=5), the maximum number of electrons it can hold is 2 * 5² = 50. However, due to sublevel filling rules and stability considerations, the fifth shell typically holds a maximum of 32 electrons in elements found in the periodic table. While it can theoretically accommodate 50, elements don't necessarily fill shells completely before moving on to the next. The actual occupation depends on the energy levels of the atomic orbitals within the shell. The 32 electron maximum for the fifth shell (and beyond) stems from the fact that only the s, p, d, and f orbitals are typically occupied in the ground state electron configurations of known elements, and these orbitals can hold a total of 2 + 6 + 10 + 14 = 32 electrons. This relates to the electron configuration and how electrons are arranged.