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boundary surface
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Diagram showing the shapes of the five d orbitals in an atom, each labeled as d z squared, d x squared minus y squared, d yz, d zx, and d xy, with axes marked for orientation. Diagram showing the shapes and orientations of the three p orbitals-p_x, p_y, and p_z-each with two lobes on opposite sides of the nucleus and aligned along the x, y, or z axis, with nodal planes at the nucleus. A blue shaded sphere represents the boundary surface of an s orbital, with red arrows pointing outward to illustrate the region where an electron is most likely to be found according to its wavefunction.
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Diagram showing the shapes of the five d orbitals in an atom, each labeled as d z squared, d x squared minus y squared, d yz, d zx, and d xy, with axes marked for orientation.
atomic orbital Figure 4: The boundary surfaces of the five d orbitals of a given shell, appropriately labeled.

A boundary surface in chemistry represents the region around an atom's nucleus where an electron is most likely to be found. These surfaces are used to visualize atomic orbitals, which describe the probability distribution of electrons.1

  • s orbitals are spherically symmetrical, meaning an electron can be found with equal probability at any orientation from the nucleus at a given distance. The boundary surface for an s orbital is a sphere that encloses a high proportion of the electron density.1
  • p orbitals are double-lobed, with regions of high electron density on either side of the nucleus. They are oriented along mutually perpendicular axes (px, py, pz).1
  • d orbitals have more complex lobe arrangements.1

A key feature is that electrons in s orbitals have a non-zero probability of being found at the nucleus, while electrons in p and d orbitals have zero probability of being found there. This difference significantly impacts the structure of the periodic table and the properties of elements.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. boundary
  2. chemical bonding - Shapes of atomic orbitals

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