orbital

1s and 2p atomic orbitals

A wavefunction that describes what an electron with a given energy is doing inside an atom or molecule. Equivalently, an orbital is a region in the space around an atomic nucleus in which electrons can move. There is a high probability of finding an electron in such an orbital, which can accommodate one or two electrons and has a shape and energy characterized by the atom's quantum numbers. See also electron configuration.

In molecules, the bonding electrons move in the combined electric field of all the nuclei. The atomic orbitals then become molecular orbitals – regions encompassing two nuclei, having a characteristic energy and containing two electrons. These molecular orbitals, which can be thought of as formed by the overlap of atomic orbitals, constitute chemical bonds.

Related categories

   • ATOMIC AND NUCLEAR PHYSICS
   • CHEMICAL BONDING
   • PARTICLE PHYSICS

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