ST. LOUIS -- When the Boston Red Sox signed Mike Napoli this past winter, there were a number of possible outcomes. He could hit a little, the way he had in 2012, putting up an OPS+ of 113. He could hit a lot, like he had in 2011, with a 173 OPS+ and 30 home runs. Most likely, he'd fall somewhere in between.
The fourth quantum number is the spin quantum number, s. There are only two values for s, +Â½ and -Â½. These are also referred to as 'spin up' and 'spin down'. This number is used to explain behavior of individual electrons as if they were spinning in a clockwise or counterclockwise.
For example, four quantum numbers are used to specify the quantum state of an electron orbiting the nucleus of an atom: one characterizes its basic orbital energy level (principal or first quantum number), one the shape of its orbit (its azimuthal, orbital or second quantum number), one the orientation of its orbit relative to other orbits ( ...