CHM120H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Azimuthal Quantum Number, Magnetic Quantum Number, Principal Quantum Number
Document Summary
It is a function of the coordinates x, y, z of the electron"s position in three dimensional space. H represents a set of mathematical instructions called an operator. In this case h, the hamiltonian operator acts on function to give back multiplied by a constant called e which represents the total energy of the atom pe + ke. An orbital is just a three-dimensional plot of a mathematical equation: 2 - a measure of the intensity of electron density distribution. 2 - probability of finding the electron within a certain volume element, dv. Total probability of finding the electron is 1 (normalization) Recall: givs probability of finding an electron in a given location. 90% of the electron density is found in the 1s orbital. Center of the orbital will have higher probability because it is a smaller volume with many electrons due to the attraction between the electrons and the protons in the nucleus.
