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Drawing Molecular Orbitals definitions

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  • Atomic Orbital
    A region around a single atom where electrons are likely to be found, serving as the starting point for constructing molecular orbitals.
  • Molecular Orbital
    A region formed by combining atomic orbitals, where electrons are shared across multiple atoms, each with a distinct energy level.
  • Energy Level
    A quantized state indicating the relative energy of an orbital, with higher levels corresponding to more nodes and phase changes.
  • Phase
    A property of an orbital describing the sign or direction of its wave function, which can remain constant or alternate with energy.
  • Node
    A point or plane within an orbital where the probability of finding an electron is zero, increasing in number with higher energy orbitals.
  • Sine Wave
    A mathematical curve used to distribute nodes symmetrically across molecular orbitals, especially in complex arrangements.
  • Electron Configuration
    The arrangement of electrons in molecular orbitals, determined by specific principles to ensure proper filling order.
  • Aufbau Principle
    A rule stating that electrons occupy the lowest available energy orbitals before filling higher ones in a molecule.
  • Pauli Exclusion Principle
    A rule limiting each orbital to a maximum of two electrons, each with opposite spins, ensuring unique quantum states.
  • Hund's Rule
    A guideline requiring electrons to fill degenerate orbitals singly and symmetrically before pairing up.
  • Degenerate Orbital
    An orbital sharing the same energy as others, requiring special filling rules to maintain symmetry.
  • Symmetry
    A spatial property ensuring nodes and electrons are distributed as evenly as possible within molecular orbitals.
  • Orbital Elimination
    The process of removing an orbital intersected by a node, as electrons cannot occupy that region.