UTF-8
Electron Orbitals: Introduction
255255204
Between 1900 and 1940 physicists developed the modern concept of the structure of the atom. The model of atomic structure contained many surprises. The atom was not, as commonly thought, a billiard ball that collided with other atoms. Instead they determined that:
The electrons did not orbit like planets. They occupied positions in space called orbitals.
The orbital is not a path of an electron. The electrons in an atom do not orbit around the nucleus like planets around the sun. In fact, they don't move at all! Instead, they are smeared out in a very diffuse cloud of charge surrounding the nucleus. Just like the clouds in the air, orbitals can have different sizes and shapes. Some are big, some are small, some are shaped like spheres, some look like dumbells, and some have more complicated shapes.
Each orbital has a different energy level. Because of this orbitals are often called energy levels.
Electrons can make a transition from one energy level to another. These transitions are called quantum jumps and they happen almost instantaneously.
It is because of these quantum jumps that very clever materials scientists and engineers were able to design transitors, computer chips, and lasers that make possible cell phones, text messaging, mp3 players, plasma screens, HDTV, and other cool gadgets of the 21st century.
The picture above represents several orbital shapes for the boron atom.
75.0
6.0
75.0
org.concord.modeler.text.LineIcon4010105<html><body>
<table width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
<td align="center">
<b><font size="5" face="Trebuchet MS">Electron Orbitals: Introduction</font></b>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</body></html>-e17507575Trebuchet MS
Trebuchet MS
75.0
75.0
org.concord.modeler.text.LineIcon40101010<html><body face="Trebuchet MS">
<table width="100%">
<tr>
<td width="50">
◀
</td>
<td width="50">
<a href="index.cml">◈</a>
</td>
<td width="50">
<a href="page2.cml">▶</a>
</td>
<td>
<table width="90%">
<tr>
<td width="40%" bgcolor="#eeeeaa">
Page 1 of 5
</td>
<td bgcolor="#Ffffdd">
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>-243f9a7575Trebuchet MS
Trebuchet MS
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
Trebuchet MS
75.0
75.0
14
16
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
14
95.0
95.0
org.concord.modeler.text.BulletIcon$SquareBulletIcon14
14
true14
14
95.0
95.0
14
95.0
95.0
org.concord.modeler.text.BulletIcon$SquareBulletIcon14
14
95.0
95.0
14
95.0
95.0
org.concord.modeler.text.BulletIcon$SquareBulletIcon14
14
14true
14
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
14
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
14
true14
14
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
14
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
14
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
14
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
1
Boron_1.label.sm.gif14
14
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
1
14Trebuchet MS
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
1.0
75.0
org.concord.modeler.text.LineIcon40101010<html><body face="Trebuchet MS">
<table width="100%">
<tr>
<td width="50">
◀
</td>
<td width="50">
<a href="index.cml">◈</a>
</td>
<td width="50">
<a href="page2.cml">▶</a>
</td>
<td>
<table width="90%">
<tr>
<td width="40%" bgcolor="#eeeeaa">
Page 1 of 5
</td>
<td bgcolor="#ffffdd">
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</body>
</html>-243f9a7575