2006-12-28 07:36:40 · 2 answers · asked by kavinila.anbu 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
It was once thought that electrons "moved in orbits" around the atomic nucleus, but quantum physics showed that behavior of electrons in an atom are actually governed by eigenstate functions which are best described as shaped probability clouds. "Orbital" is the name conventionally used to denote those electron eigenstates, in recognition of the fact it's meaningless to speak of electrons actually orbiting about the nucleus.
2006-12-28 07:51:56 · answer #1 · answered by Scythian1950 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Electrons were once thought to orbit the nucleus, similar to the way our moon orbits the Earth. We now know this to be false. Electrons occupy a space around the nucleus called an orbital. The shape of an orbital is actually the shape of the space that an electron will be found in roughly 95% of the time. (The rest of the time, it can be literally anywhere.) The shape of an orbital depends upon which type it is, what type of atom it surrounds and the energy state of the electron. Orbital shape also changes when molecules are formed to create bonds with other atoms.
2006-12-28 08:02:42 · answer #2 · answered by squang 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋