Electronic Structure: Orbitals: Videos & Practice Problems

The relationship between subshells and orbital shapes is crucial in understanding electron configurations. The s subshell has one spherical orbital, while the p subshell contains three dumbbell-shaped orbitals (px, py, pz). The d subshell features five orbitals, four resembling four-leaf clovers and one shaped like a dumbbell with a ring. The f subshell, although not covered in detail, is expected to have seven orbitals. Each subshell's letter indicates the number and shape of orbitals, essential for grasping atomic structure and electron behavior.

Electronic Structure: Orbitals Concept 1

Now, there exists a relationship between our subshell or sublevel and the orbital shape. We're going to say that the sublevel letter gives information on the orientation of the orbitals that electrons occupy. And when we say orientation, we're just talking about the traveled path the electron takes, and this traveled path resembles different types of shapes. Now if we're talking about the sublevel letter of 's', its orbital shape is just a sphere and it's just one shape. Now, if we're talking about 'p', then we're discussing 3 dumbbells or 3 ellipses. We've used that term before, 3 ellipses. Each one of these shapes corresponds to an atomic orbital. So the 'p' subshell has 3 orbitals attached to it. Each one looks like ellipses. Then we're going to say that the 'd' subshell letter has connected to it 5 different orbitals. The first four look like 4 leaf clovers, and the 5th shape looks like an ellipse with a ring around it. Now, of course, we know that there is another sublevel letter and that is 'f'. We're going to say it's ignored because it has many shapes and is beyond the scope of this course. So what you should have noticed is as we go from 's' to 'p' to 'd', the number of shapes is increasing. We start out with 1, then 3, then 5, so the pattern is we're adding 2 more shapes each time. So, technically, if we wanted to look at the 'f' sublevel itself, we'd expect it to have 7 different shapes because, again, we keep adding 2 to the number of shapes as we go from 's' to 'f'. Again, you don't need to know what these 'f' subshell letter shapes are, just realize that there's a lot of them. Okay? So keep this in mind when we're talking about subshells and orbital shape, that there is a connection between the two.

Electronic Structure: Orbitals Example 1

Based on the following atomic orbital shape, which of the following set of values is correct? Alright. So what we have here is we have an ellipsis with a circle around it or a dumbbell with a circle around it. We know that that is connected to a particular subshell letter. Remember, up above, we said that that's connected to the subshell letter of d. So that means the answer can only be c or e. But how do we determine which one is the better answer? Well, remember the limitation of our n value. N is connected to the period or rows of the periodic table. The limitation on n is that it has to be a value that is from 1 to infinity. Can't ever be a number less than 1, so n equals 0 here is not possible. That means that option e would have to be our correct answer.

Which of the following orbitals possesses the most orbital shapes?

• A. 2p
• B. 7s
• C. 4d
• D. 5p
• E. 5f

Answer: (E)

Electronic Structure: Orbitals Concept 2

Recall that an orbital is the region within a subshell where 2 specific electrons can be found. Now, an easy way to understand what an orbital is, realize that it's a combination of your shell number with your subshell letter. So for example, let's say you're dealing with the 3rd shell, and let's say we're dealing with our subshell letter of p. 3p would represent an orbital. So just remember, an orbital itself is just your shell number and sublevel subshell letter combined together.

Electronic Structure: Orbitals Example 2

Provide the identity of a set of orbitals that exist in the 4th energy level and p sublevel. Alright. So first of all, we're going to say that the 4th energy level is associated with the 4th shell, which means n=4. It also means that it's literally the number 4 that defines that set of orbitals. So here we have 4 and we have 4. So the answer is going to be either b or c. Next it tells us that we have a p sublevel. Remember, that's the letter that goes right after the number. They're telling us that it's p, so we're dealing with a 4p set of orbitals, which means that option c is the correct answer.

Electronic Structure: Orbitals Concept 3

Now before we go into the different shapes involved with these sets of orbitals, realize that they are connected to our subshell letter. Remember, our subshell letters are spdf. And when it comes to the f subshell or sublevel, remember that it is beyond the scope of this course. So let's go back up. When we're dealing with the s subshell or sublevel, realize that it has connected to it one orbital, which is represented by this red box. That orbital has a specific shape attached to it, which is just a sphere. When we're dealing with the p subshell or sublevel, it itself is broken down further into 3 sets of orbitals. So when we talk about, 3p for example, 3p is composed of 3 of these orbitals. Now, we're going to say that they are shaped like ellipses or dumbbells, and we're gonna say the part that's shaded in is the most likely region for an electron to reside. We're gonna say that they each have their own designation of p_x, p_y, and p_z. Now this is in reference to a coordinate graph. So remember, if we have, this graph here, this is y, this is x, and this can be seen as z. So when we're saying p_x that means it resides on the x, when we say p_y that means it resides on the y, and when we say p_z it resides here on the z. Okay. So that's where these letters are coming from. For d, we're going to say here that d has 5 shapes because it has 5 different orbitals. And we're gonna say that these orbitals are d_{y z}, d_{x y}, d_{x z}, d_x² - y², d_z². Now of course, you don't have to memorize these specific descriptions for each of these orbitals because that's way too complicated and beyond the scope of this course. What you do need to remember is that when it comes to the d subshell or sublevel, it has 5 different orbitals. The first 4 are shaped like 4-leaf clovers, and the 5th one is shaped like a dumbbell with a ring around it. When it comes to the f subshell or sublevel, it has attached to it 7 different orbitals. Each of them would have their own shape, but again, their shapes are beyond the focus or scope of this course, so don't worry about it. Just realize that when it comes to the f subshell or sublevel, it has 7 sets of orbitals. Alright. So just remember that our subshell letter or sublevel letter is connected to our sets of orbitals, each with their own unique shape.

Which of the following statements is false?
a) A set of d orbitals contains 5 orbitals.
b) A set of 4s orbitals would have more energy than a set of 3p orbitals.
c) A set of 3s orbitals would have less energy than a set of 5p orbitals.
d) A set of f orbitals contains 3 orbitals.
e) A set of p orbitals contains 1 orbital.

• A. a, b
• B. b, d
• C. c, d
• D. d, e
• E. b, e

Answer: (D)

Here’s what students ask on this topic:

What is the relationship between subshells and orbital shapes?

The relationship between subshells and orbital shapes is fundamental in understanding electron configurations. Each subshell (s, p, d, f) has a specific number of orbitals, each with a unique shape. The s subshell has one spherical orbital. The p subshell contains three dumbbell-shaped orbitals (px, py, pz). The d subshell features five orbitals, four resembling four-leaf clovers and one shaped like a dumbbell with a ring. The f subshell, although not covered in detail, is expected to have seven orbitals. This relationship helps in predicting the arrangement of electrons in an atom and their behavior.

How many orbitals are in the p subshell and what are their shapes?

The p subshell contains three orbitals, each shaped like a dumbbell. These orbitals are designated as px, py, and pz, corresponding to their orientation along the x, y, and z axes, respectively. The dumbbell shape indicates the regions where the probability of finding an electron is highest. These shapes and orientations are crucial for understanding the spatial distribution of electrons in atoms.

What are the shapes of the d orbitals?

The d subshell contains five orbitals with distinct shapes. Four of these orbitals resemble four-leaf clovers, and they are designated as d_xy, d_yz, d_zx, and d_x²-y². The fifth orbital, d_z², is shaped like a dumbbell with a ring around it. These shapes are important for understanding the complex electron distributions in transition metals and other elements with d electrons.

What is an orbital in terms of shell number and subshell letter?

An orbital is defined by combining the shell number with the subshell letter. For example, if you are dealing with the third shell (n=3) and the p subshell, the orbital is designated as 3p. This notation indicates the specific region within the atom where two electrons can be found. Understanding this combination helps in identifying the exact location and energy level of electrons in an atom.

Why is the f subshell often not covered in introductory courses?

The f subshell is often not covered in introductory courses because it has a complex structure with seven different orbitals, each having unique shapes. These shapes are beyond the scope of basic courses due to their complexity. Introductory courses focus on the s, p, and d subshells to build a foundational understanding of electron configurations and atomic structure before delving into more advanced topics.