What is how many orbitals does sulfur have?

Sulfur (S) has a total of 16 orbitals, distributed across different energy levels. Here's the breakdown:

• n=1 (First energy level): Contains one 1s orbital, which can hold up to 2 electrons.

• n=2 (Second energy level): Contains one 2s orbital and three 2p orbitals. This level can hold up to 8 electrons (2 in 2s and 6 in 2p).

• n=3 (Third energy level): Contains one 3s orbital, three 3p orbitals, and five 3d orbitals. While only 6 electrons are present in the 3p orbitals and 2 in the 3s orbital for sulfur in ground state electronic configuration, the 3d orbitals are available for bonding, especially in expanded octets.

Therefore, in total, sulfur has 1 + 1 + 3 + 1 + 3 + 5 = 14 atomic%20orbitals that play a role in the electronic structure and bonding. In summary it has;

• 1 1s orbital
• 1 2s orbital
• 3 2p orbitals
• 1 3s orbital
• 3 3p orbitals
• 5 3d orbitals

So, it has 14 orbitals in total.