Molecular Geometry & Bonding
what the shape decides
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The thread: One electron only

Every orbital drawn here is a hydrogen-like solution. A many-electron atom has no exact orbitals at all, and keeping that in view is the difference between a model and a picture of reality.
2pzencloses 90% of the densitycontour at |ψ| = 9.48e-30 radial nodes1 angular nodecontour solved for by integrating the density1 shell · one electron Orbitals

What an orbital is

Not a region the electron occupies, not a path it follows, and for any atom but hydrogen not an exact anything. An orbital is a one-electron wavefunction, and almost every difficulty in this subject comes from forgetting that.

 50% of the density|ψ| = 1.48e-190% of the density|ψ| = 3.94e-299% of the density|ψ| = 8.44e-31slevels solved for by integration, drawn at one scale Orbitals

Say what it encloses

An orbital picture is a contour at a level somebody chose, and almost no source says which. Two textbooks can draw the same orbital at visibly different sizes with the same caption, and both be printed in good faith.

 one scale across the plate1s0 radial · 0 angular2s1 radial · 0 angular2pz0 radial · 1 angulareach level solved for separately90% · one electron What is taught wrongly

Orbitals are not where the electron is

A many-electron atom has no exact orbitals at all. The orbital picture is a basis for an approximation — an extremely good one — and treating it as a description of reality is the source of most of the confusion in this subject.

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