Atomic Orbitals

• Atomic orbitals does NOT have a well-defined shape.
• Atomic orbitals can extend to infinity.
• Important properties of Atomic Orbitals:

  • Size
  • Shape
  • Orientation
• S orbitals (l = 0, $m_l=$$0$) :

  • Spherical = 3d uniform density
  • ONE value of $m_l$= ONE orbital per subshell
• p orbitals (l = 1, $m_l=$$-1, 0 , 1$) :

  • A value of $m_l$= DIFFERENT p orbital, DIFFERENT orientations in space
  • Increase in size = Increase in n
• d orbitals: (l = 2, $m_l =$$-2, -1, 0, 1, 2$):

  • A value of $m_l$= DIFFERENT d orbital
  • 5d orbitals per d subshell, oriented DIFFERENTLY in space.
  • Increase in size = increase in n
• f orbitals (l=3, $m_l=$$-3, -2, -1, 0 , 1, 2, 3$):

  • A value of $m_l$= DIFFERENT f orbital