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What does n stand for in physics?

Updated: 5/22/2024
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Wiki User

9y ago

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n is the principal quantum number and represents the energy level or electron shell in which an electron resides.

For example - Say you have an Oxygen atom, which has 8 electrons. It's electron configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p4. The 2 in 2p4 is the principle quantum number, n. The s is another term dealing with angular momentum and the 4 is the number of electrons.

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9y ago
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AnswerBot

1d ago

In physics, n generally stands for a number or quantity, such as the index of refraction n in optics or the number of turns in a solenoid coil. It is a variable used to represent a value that may vary depending on the context of the specific physical situation.

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9y ago

n is the principal quantum number and represents the energy level or electron shell in which an electron resides.

For example - Say you have an Oxygen atom, which has 8 electrons. It's electron configuration is 1s2 2s2 2p4. The 2 in 2p4 is the principle quantum number, n. The s is another term dealing with angular momentum and the 4 is the number of electrons.

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12y ago

Symbols in physics (and most other science) are subject to conventions and one can find many different symbols used for the same thing. The letter n is especially bad since it is not a Greek letter and therefore generally used as a 'dummy' letter.

The letter n is, at least in my experience as a physics student, mostly used for summations.

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9y ago

There are a number of things that n stands for in physics. Some of the common ones include nano, refractive index, principal quantum number and many more.

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13y ago
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11y ago

the principal quantum number

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11y ago

it stands for neutron.

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9y ago

newton

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