The electronic configuration of an atom details how electrons are organized across various shells and sublevels.
There are four categories of sublevels: s, p, d, and f. Each of these sublevels contains orbitals, which are regions with a high likelihood of containing an electron, with each orbital capable of holding a maximum of 2 electrons.
As a result,
s-sublevel possesses 1 orbital, allowing for a maximum of 2 electrons.
p-sublevel has 3 orbitals, accommodating a maximum of 6 electrons.
d-sublevel encompasses 5 orbitals, permitting a maximum of 10 electrons.
f-sublevel includes 7 orbitals, with a maximum of 14 electrons.
Therefore, the ascending order of sublevels based on the maximum number of electrons they can hold is:
s < p < d < f