What is the difference between atomic orbitals and molecular orbitals?

Question

Hi, I came across this quesiton in my textbook when I was studying for my chem test, and I couldn't come up with an answer for it.
Atomic orbitals... s, p, d, f orbitals..
and molecular orbitals... orbitals in the molecular orbital theory to explain covalent bonds?
=(
i'm confused. Thanks!

Answer 1

Atomic orbitasls refer to s,p,d,f as you stated. These are the regions around the nucleus where electrons are most likely to be found.

Molecular orbitals can have different shapes due to "hybridization" of the atomic orbitals of the atoms involved in the molecular bonds. The orbitals of the bonding atoms join to form different shapes such as sp, sp2, sp3. There are other shapes involving the "d" orbitals, too. We know these molecular orbitals as "sigma" and "pi" bonds according to the orbitals which join and the shape they take.


Check you text book for "hybridization" or "hybridized orbitals."

Links that may help:

http://www.ualberta.ca/~jplambec/che/p102/p02202.htm
http://adomas.org/hopv/ (pictures)
http://www.chem.arizona.edu/~salzmanr/orbitals.html

Answer 2

What Is A Molecular Orbital

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the difference between atomic orbitals and molecular orbitals?
Hi, I came across this quesiton in my textbook when I was studying for my chem test, and I couldn't come up with an answer for it.
Atomic orbitals... s, p, d, f orbitals..
and molecular orbitals... orbitals in the molecular orbital theory to explain covalent bonds?
=(
i'm confused....

Answer 4

the only difference is, is that AO are the orbitals that describe the electron energy levels in the atom (and are therefore simpler), while the MO do exactly the same, but in the molecule, therefore taking into consideration electronegativities, ionisation potentials and so on.

Answer 5

group of atoms is molecule

Answer 6

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