Answer to Question #113849 in Chemistry for Hilda

Question

What is physically imagined by an orbital

Answer 1

Answer:

An atom consists of a nucleus and electrons.

The nucleus is surrounded by an electron cloud, which occupies most of its volume. In the electron cloud, you can select shells, for each of which there are several possible orbitals. Filled orbitals make up the electronic configuration inherent in each chemical element.

Each orbital can contain up to two electrons, characterized by three quantum numbers: principal, orbital and magnetic.

Each electron in the orbital has a unique value of the fourth quantum number: spin.

Orbitals are determined by a specific probability distribution of where an electron can be found. The "boundary" of the orbital is the distance at which the probability that the electron may be outside it is less than 90%.

Each shell can contain no more than a strictly defined number of electrons. For example, the shell closest to the nucleus can have a maximum of two electrons, the next - 8, the third from the nucleus - 18.

When electrons attach to an atom, they occupy the orbital with the lowest energy.