Question

What element of the periodic table has the simplest atomic orbitals?

Answer 1

Both hydrogen and helium atoms in the ground state have the simplest occupied orbital.

All elements of the Periodic Table have exactly the same atomic orbitals.

Even a hydrogen atom has 1s, 2s, 2p, 3d, 4f, 9d, etc. orbitals.

But in the ground state, every orbital above n = 1 is unoccupied.

The 1s orbital is the simplest orbital. It has no nodes and is spherically symmetrical.

A hydrogen atom in the ground state has one electron in the 1s orbital. A helium atom has two electrons in the 1s orbital.

So both hydrogen and helium atoms in the ground state have the simplest occupied atomic orbital.

Its single electron occupies a spherically symmetrical 1s orbital.