How are electrons arranged around the nucleus?

• A. In shells at fixed distances with discrete energy levels
• B. In the nucleus
• C. In the electron cloud around the nucleus
• D. In protons

Answer: (C)

Electrons are described by a quantum view, not as tiny bodies on fixed orbits. They occupy regions around the nucleus called orbitals, and together these regions form the electron cloud. The cloud represents where an electron is likely to be found, since exact positions can’t be known. There are discrete energy levels, or shells, but you don’t have precise fixed distances—the probability density within those regions defines the distribution around the nucleus. That’s why “in the electron cloud around the nucleus” best captures how electrons are arranged. They aren’t located inside the nucleus or inside protons.