1. Orbitals...

2. Electrons are part of what
makes an atom an atom

3. Electrons are part of what
makes an atom an atom
But where exactly are the
electrons inside an atom?
atom

4. where there is a high probablility
Orbitals
are areas within atoms
where there is a high probablility
of finding electrons.

5. Knowing how electrons are
arranged in an atom is
important
because that governs
how atoms interact
with each other

6. Knowing how electrons are
arranged in an atom is
important
because that governs
how atoms interact
with each other

7. Knowing how electrons are
arranged in an atom is
important
because that governs
how atoms interact
with each other

8. Knowing how electrons are
arranged in an atom is
important
because that governs
how atoms interact
with each other

9. Knowing how electrons are
arranged in an atom is
important
because that governs
how atoms interact
with each other

10. Knowing how electrons are
arranged in an atom is
important
because that governs
how atoms interact
with each other

11. Knowing how electrons are
arranged in an atom is
important
because that governs
how atoms interact
with each other

12. Let’s say you have a
room with flies flying
around in it

13. The flies are not just
anywhere in the room.
They are inside boxes in
the room.

14. You know where the
boxes are, and you
know the flies are
inside the boxes, but…

15. you don’t know exactly
where the flies are
inside the boxes

16. The flies are electrons
The room is an atom
The flies are electrons
The boxes are orbitals

17. The flies are electrons
The room is an atom
The flies are electrons
The boxes are orbitals

18. The marbles are electrons
The room is an atom
The marbles are electrons
The boxes are orbitals
Science has determined where the
orbitals are inside an atom, but it
is never known precisely where the
electrons are inside the orbitals

20. Hey,
where
am I?

21. So what are the
sizes and shapes
of orbitals?

22. The area where an electron can be found, the orbital,
is defined mathematically,
but we can see it as a specific shape
in 3-dimensional space…

23. z y x

24. z y
The 3 axes represent
3-dimensional space x

25. z y x For this presentation, the nucleus of the atom is at
the center of the three axes. x

26. The “1s” orbital is a
sphere, centered
around the nucleus

29. The 2s orbital is also
a sphere.

30. The 2s electrons have a
higher energy than the 1s
electrons. Therefore, the 2s
electrons are generally more
distant from the nucleus,
making the 2s orbital larger
than the 1s orbital.

31. 1s orbital

32. 2s orbital

33. Don’t forget:
an orbital is the shape of the
space where there is a high
probability of finding electrons

34. Don’t forget:
an orbital is the shape of the
space where there is a high
probability of finding electrons
The s orbitals are spheres

35. There are three
2p orbitals

36. The three 2p orbitals
are oriented
perpendicular
to each other

37. z
This is
one 2p orbital
(2py) y x

38. z
another 2p orbital
(2px) y x

39. z
the third 2p orbital
(2pz) y x

40. Don’t forget:
an orbital is the shape of the
space where there is a high
probability of finding electrons

41. This is the shape of p orbitals
Don’t forget:
an orbital is the shape of the
space where there is a high
probability of finding electrons
This is the shape of p orbitals

42. z y x

43. z
2px y x

44. z
2px and 2pz y x

45. The three 2p orbitals, 2px, 2py, 2pz

46. once the
1s orbital
is filled,

47. the 2s orbital
begins to fill

48. once the 2s
orbital is
filled,

49. the 2p orbitals
begin to fill

50. each 2p orbital
intersects the
2s orbital and
the 1s orbital

51. each 2p orbital
gets one electron
before pairing begins

52. once each 2p orbital
is filled with a pair
of electrons, then

53. the 3s orbital
gets the next
two electrons

54. the 3s electrons
have a higher energy
than 1s, 2s, or 2p
electrons,

55. so 3s electrons are
generally found
further from the
nucleus than 1s,
2s, or 2p electrons

56. What does that have to do with anything??

57. depend on how the electrons are arranged in each atom
the billions of interactions of atoms
constantly going on around you
depend on how the electrons
are arranged in each atom

58. (its orbitals) the arrangement of an atom’s electrons
the billions of interactions of atoms
constantly going on around you
depend on how the electrons
are arranged in each atom
the arrangement of an atom’s electrons
(its orbitals)
govern how that atom will interact
with other atoms

59. If atoms did not interact with each other,
the billions of interactions of atoms
constantly going on around you
depend on how the electrons
are arranged in each atom
the arrangement of an atom’s electrons
(its orbitals)
govern how that atom will interact
with other atoms
If atoms did not interact with each other,
you would not be sitting here reading this

60. a specific organization allowing for intersting
An interesting place
where electrons have
a specific organization
within atoms,
allowing for intersting
atom interactions

61. (does not actually exist) An interesting place where electrons have
a specific organization
within atoms,
allowing for intersting
atom interactions
Not an interesting place,
where electrons have
no specific organization
within atoms,
where atoms wander
aimlessly about