🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Bvw0qr.5qu@cmptrc.lonestar.org> neal@cmptrc.lonestar.org (Neal Howard) writes:
>In article <718623068.5@mailbox.bison.mb> Jason.Goga@mailbox.bison.mb.ca (Jason Goga) writes:
>>I was in chem class the other day (as usual) and we were discussing the various
>>shapes of orbitals at the various energy levels of electrons. Now we discussed 
>>S, P, D, and F. However no 3d picture of an 'F' orbital was given. I was wonder
>>ing if such a plot exists and if so can I get a copy.
>>
>>ALSO, the S orbital is symetrical, so is the P. However in 3dx2 there is this '
>>dougnut' shaped orbital, whereas it's counterparts are ovalish. Why is this?
>>
>>-Jason
>
>I don't have the specific answer to the shape of the "d" orbitals, but I can 
>tell you that it has something to do with Scroedinger's Equation (the oe is
>really an "o" with an umlaut over the top) and the square of the wave function
>which is included four times within the equation. The value represented by the
>square of the wave function is related to the probability of finding an electron
>in some certain region in space around the nucleus of the atom (actually the
>electron density in that region). The "shape" of an orbital, or "boundary
>surface" is only a diagram of the areas where the electron density is highest
>according to about a 90 percent probability. The actual shape of the orbitals
>may actually be different, the shapes we see in our textbooks are only those
>areas corresponding to probability functions. I can see I'm fast getting out
>of my area of familiarity on this topic and suggest you might want to post
>to sci.physics for better explanations on why these probability functions are

Just to make things worse (I am outside of my expertise, for sure), it is my
understanding that the same equations have different solutions.  The chemists
choose one set of solutions because that produces some nice shapes that are
easy to visualize mentally.  There are other "shapes" that offer equally-
good solutions to the same system of equations.  Now, will someone who really
knows this stuff straighten us out, please?



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Andrew Mitz          |    NIH Animal Center
Biomedical Engineer  |    Poolesville, MD
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All opinions expressed are my own.