The shapes of the atomic orbitals within an atom can be described by the

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The shapes of the atomic orbitals within an atom can be described by the

The shapes of atomic orbitals come from the angular part of the electron's wavefunction, which is determined by the orbital (azimuthal) quantum number l. This number sets which angular functions appear, giving the familiar shapes: l = 0 corresponds to s (spherical), l = 1 to p (dumbbell), l = 2 to d (clover), l = 3 to f (more complex). The principal quantum number n controls energy and size, not shape; the magnetic quantum number m_l fixes orientation in space, not the basic shape; and the spin quantum number m_s pertains to electron spin and has no spatial shape effect. Hence the descriptor that defines the shapes is the orbital (azimuthal) quantum number.

The shapes of atomic orbitals come from the angular part of the electron's wavefunction, which is determined by the orbital (azimuthal) quantum number l. This number sets which angular functions appear, giving the familiar shapes: l = 0 corresponds to s (spherical), l = 1 to p (dumbbell), l = 2 to d (clover), l = 3 to f (more complex). The principal quantum number n controls energy and size, not shape; the magnetic quantum number m_l fixes orientation in space, not the basic shape; and the spin quantum number m_s pertains to electron spin and has no spatial shape effect. Hence the descriptor that defines the shapes is the orbital (azimuthal) quantum number.

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