Atomic Orbitals
Hybrid Orbitals
The sp, sp2 and sp3 Hybrid Orbitals
Other
What Is An Atomic Orbital?
An atomic orbital
 | is derived using the mathematical tools of quantum mechanics, |
| is a representation of the three-dimensional volume (i.e., the region in space) in which
an electron is most likely to be found, and |
| CANNOT be observed experimentally (electron
density can, however, be observed experimentally). |
It is not possible to determine the exact location of an electron in an atom. However, the probability of finding an electron at a given position can be calculated. The higher the probability of finding an electron at a given position, the larger the electron density at that position.