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Schrodinger mathematically showed that we have "cut up" the region outside the nucleus into smaller regions where the electrons are "located" (actually highest probability of finding the electrons) into 3 major subsections as follows.
Remember for Scrodinger these are the solution to Bohr equation (probability plots) spun in 3 dimensions to create the region:
*[Atomic orbital pictures after electron configuration]. Can click on this website to view actual pictures of orbitals and subenergy levels
- Energy Level (called Principle Quantum Number, n)
- Region that are the same distance from the nucleus.
- There are 7 of them called 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
- Subenergy Level (called Azimuthal Quantum Number, l )
- Region that have the same shape of the region (probability plot)
- They are designated by letter: s, p, d, f, (from f on will use alphabet but never use them)
- Orbitals (called Magnetic Quantum Number, ml)
- The actual 3 dimension region of space outside nucleus where you will find the electron (of course is only the highest probability of finding the electron) with that given amount of energy.
- An example of an orbital is px. It has the shape of a p subenergy level and is "located" through the x axis. More details below.
With an understanding of the above subsection, another way of explaining what is going on is:
- If you sum all the orbitals together, you get the subenergy level region.
- Then if you sum all the subenergy level regions together, you get the Energy level region (remember, Bohr's energy level/7 concentric spheres).
- Then if you add all the energy level regions together, you get the region outside the nucleus where the electrons can be "located".
Is all the regions outside the nucleus accounted for when you sum all the orbitals, subenergy level and energy level?
- Answer: No, there are regions outside the nucleus where an electron in a given orbital can not be "located". These are called nodes.
- The number of nodes in an orbital of a given energy level = the number of the energy level. ***Example, for orbitals in the 2nd energy level, there are two nodes (do not need to know where they are).
<i>Note: There is another way to explain the above information. Basically, all the orbitals are what physicist called "standing waves" (so all solutions to Scrodinger equation are also standing waves). So, you can explain orbitals, subenergy levels and energy levels and nodes with standing waves. I will not use this explanation here, though.
grouping (piles)A more understandable way to say