Why are atoms typically depicted as spheres, even though most atomic orbitals do not have a spherical shape?

• A. Because the overall electron cloud, when all orbitals are considered, tends to be distributed symmetrically around the nucleus, resulting in a roughly spherical shape.
• B. Because the nucleus itself is spherical, so the atom must be spherical as well.
• C. Because atoms are solid spheres at the microscopic level.
• D. Because all atomic orbitals are actually spherical in shape.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that atomic orbitals represent regions where electrons are likely to be found, and these orbitals can have various shapes such as spherical (s), dumbbell-shaped (p), or more complex (d, f).
2. Recognize that while individual orbitals have distinct shapes, an atom contains multiple electrons occupying different orbitals simultaneously.
3. Consider that when all the electron orbitals and their probability distributions are combined, the overall electron cloud tends to be symmetrically distributed around the nucleus.
4. This symmetrical distribution of electron density around the nucleus results in an overall shape that is roughly spherical, even though individual orbitals are not spherical.
5. Therefore, atoms are typically depicted as spheres to represent this averaged, overall electron cloud shape rather than the shape of any single orbital.