Question: why are 2s and 2p orbitals degenerate in hydrogen?
Answer: The 1s orbital has the electron closest to the nucleus, so it has the lowest energy. The 2s and 2p orbitals have the same energy for hydrogen. They are said to be degenerate energy levels, all the same. ... The penetration effect leads to an ordering of the energy of orbitals within a shell of s < p < d.