Which of the following is a characteristic of an atomic orbital?

• A. It is always spherical in shape.
• B. It represents the exact path an electron follows around the nucleus.
• C. It can contain an unlimited number of electrons.
• D. It describes the probability distribution of an electron in an atom.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that an atomic orbital is a mathematical function that describes the wave-like behavior of an electron in an atom.
2. Recognize that an atomic orbital does not represent a fixed path or trajectory of an electron, but rather a region in space where there is a high probability of finding the electron.
3. Recall that atomic orbitals can have different shapes (such as spherical for s orbitals, dumbbell-shaped for p orbitals, etc.), so they are not always spherical.
4. Know that each atomic orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons with opposite spins, so it cannot contain an unlimited number of electrons.
5. Conclude that the key characteristic of an atomic orbital is that it describes the probability distribution of an electron in an atom.