What are the possible spin quantum numbers for an electron with #m_l = -1#?

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Truong-Son N.
Feb 4, 2017

Whichever you want: #-1/2# or #+1/2#. There was no #m_s# given, which specifies the spin of the electron.

Note that by specifying #m_l = -1#, you haven't explicitly shown what #l# is. Since #m_l = {-l, -l+1, . . . , 0, . . . , l - 1, l}#, #m_l = -1# could correspond to any #l >= 1#.

Either way, we do have some sort of orbital with #m_l = -1#, whatever it may be. So, the electron has no particular spin other than the two possibilities of spin up or spin down.

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