Chemistry - GENERAL CHEMISTRY Question with Solution | TestHub

Li²⁺ is a single-electron system, so energy depends only on the principal quantum number ($n$). The 2ⁿᵈ excited state corresponds to the shell $n=3$. For a single-electron system, all orbitals in the same shell are degenerate (have equal energy). The total number of orbitals in shell $n$ is $n^2$.

Therefore, for $n=3$, the degeneracy is $3^2=9$ orbitals (one $3s$, three $3p$, and five $3d$).