Hund rules

Hund rules

[′hənd ‚rülz] (atomic physics) Two rules giving the order in energy of atomic states formed by equivalent electrons: of the terms given by equivalent electrons, the ones with greatest multiplicity have the least energy, and of these the one with greatest orbital angular momentum is lowest; the state of a multiplet with lowest energy is that in which the total angular momentum is the least possible, if the shell is less than half-filled, and the greatest possible, if more than half filled.