History of Orbitals
The whole concept of orbital was given by Heisenberg, Schrodinger, and Dirac in the late 1920s to explain the concept of quantum numbers and the structure of atoms.
- There are a total of 4 quantum numbers as follows:
- Principle quantum number (n)
- Azimuthal quantum number (l)
- Magnetic quantum number (m)
- Spin quantum number (s)
- This atomic model follows quantum mechanics and the electron is considered a wave by following two basic principles:
- De-Broglie Concept ( It considers the wave nature of the electron )
- Heisenberg Uncertainty principle (It believes in electron finding probability)
- There are different functions defined for the probability of finding the electron around the nucleus:
- Radial Probability density ( ψ2(r) ) or ( R2(r) ): It gives the probability of finding electrons at a point and a distance “r” from the nucleus.
- Radial Probability density function ( 4πr2ψ2(r) or ( 4πr2R2(r) ): It gives the probability of finding an electron in a spherical region or volume at a distance “r” from the nucleus.
Difference Between Orbit And Orbitals
In chemistry, the terms orbit and orbital are frequently used, and this leads to confusion because we mistakenly think they both refer to the same thing. But hold on, do they similar to each other or do they differ in any way?
In order to understand the behavior of atoms at the molecular level it is important to have the correct understanding of the terms orbit and orbitals.
If we talk about an orbit, it is the circular or elliptical path followed by the electrons around the nucleus. These orbits have different energies and angular momentum. It plays a key role in writing the electronic configuration of atoms which affects many physical and chemical properties like shape, size, electronegativity, electron affinity, and chemical reactivity of an atom.
On the other hand, if we talk about Orbitals they are defined as the 3-Dimensional regions around the nucleus where. there is a high chance of finding an electron. These orbitals defined the shape, size, and orientation of the electron cloud and orbitals around the nucleus. These orbitals are characterized by a set of four quantum numbers defined in quantum chemistry. The overlapping of these orbitals with each other leads to the formation of various chemical bonds and help us in understanding various molecular orbital theory.
Thus, both orbit and orbital talk about the region and movement of electrons around the nucleus yet they have different terms and affect different properties. So let’s find out these terms in detail, their characteristics, and the differences between them in the article below.