Verified answer

Cadmium has this occupancy:

1s2 .... 2s2p6 .... 3s2p6d10 .... 4s2p6d10 ... 5s2

http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Cd...

S-orbitals do not have ml = −1, they only have ml = 0

each shell's P's have three separate orbitals ,

their ml 's are : (-1) (0) (+1)

&

each shell's D's have five separate orbitals ,

their ml 's are : (-2) (-1) (0) (+1) (+2)

every ml = −1 orbital can house 2 electrons of opposite spin

so every set of Cadmium's P-orbitals & D orbitals can have 2 electrons with ml = −1

Cadmium has

Three different P's :2nd shell P , a 3rd shell P , & a 4th shell P

along with

Two different D's: a 3rd shell D & a 4th shell D

all of those P's & D's are filled

that's Five sets of orbitals

with 2 electrons each

which makes your answer

10 electrons in a ground-state cadmium atom are in orbitals labeled by ml = −1

read my answer here first

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Atxpc...

it's the one starting off with "let's define..."

then...

Cd is

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10

from here...

http://www.ptable.com/

orbitals

and that corresponds to these electrons...

(1, 0, 0, +1/2)

(1, 0, 0, -1/2).. the 1s electrons

(2, 0, 0, +1/2)

(2, 0, 0, -1/2).. the 2s electrons

(2, 1, -1, +1/2)

(2, 1, -1, -1/2)

(2, 1, 0, +1/2)

(2, 1, 0, -1/2)

(2, 1, +1, +1/2)

(2, 1, +1, -1/2)... the 2p electrons.

(3, 0, 0, +1/2)

(3, 0, 0, -1/2).. the 3s electrons

(3, 1, -1, +1/2)

(3, 1, -1, -1/2)

(3, 1, 0, +1/2)

(3, 1, 0, -1/2)

(3, 1, +1, +1/2)

(3, 1, +1, -1/2)... the 3p electrons.

(4, 0, 0, +1/2)

(4, 0, 0, -1/2).. the 4s electrons

(3, 2, -2, +1/2)

(3, 2, -2, -1/2)

(3, 2, -1, +1/2)

(3, 2, -1, -1/2)

(3, 2, 0, +1/2)

(3, 2, 0, -1/2)

(3, 2, +1, +1/2)

(3, 2, +1, -1/2)

(3, 2, +2, +1/2)

(3, 2, +2, -1/2).... the 3d electrons...

and so on...

now if you notice.

the "s" orbitals have no mL = -1

the "p" orbitals have 2 electrons with mL = -1

the "d" orbitals have 2 electrons with mL = -1

likewise..

the "s" and "p" orbitals don't have any mL = -2

the "d" has 2 electrons with mL = -2

guess which orbitials don't and do have mL = -3?

********************

so this...

Cd is

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 4p6 5s2 4d10

must have

2 - 2p electrons with mL = -1

2 - 3p electrons with mL = -1

2 - 3d electrons with mL = -1

2 - 4p electrons with mL = -1

2 - 4d electrons with mL = -1

for a total of 10 electrons with mL = -1

*********

and if you want to check, look in those squares on that periodic table with the up and down arrows. the mL values are listed below the squares.

Cadmium Atom