Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
p-orbital
References
Images
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. Diagram showing two types of electron orbitals in atoms: a spherical s orbital on the left and a dumbbell-shaped p orbital on the right, each centered around a labeled nucleus with x, y, and z axes. Diagram showing electron density shapes for atomic orbitals: A spherical s orbital at the top left, and three dumbbell-shaped p orbitals oriented along the x, y, and z axes below, each with labeled axes.
Britannica AI Icon

p-orbital

physics
Also known as: p-state
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

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.
atomic orbital Figure 3: The boundary surfaces of the three p orbitals of a given shell. They are labeled according to their orientation relative to the three axes. An electron described by one of these wave functions will not be found at the nucleus; there is a nodal plane running through the nucleus between the two lobes.

In physics and chemistry, a p-orbital is a mathematical function, known as a wave function, that describes the probable location of an electron around an atomic nucleus. P-orbitals are one type of atomic orbital, distinguished by their shape. While s orbitals are spherical, p orbitals have a dumbbell shape, consisting of two lobes on opposite sides of the nucleus.12

There are three p orbitals for each energy level above the first, oriented along the x, y, and z axes (designated as 2px, 2py, and 2pz). Each orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons, which must have opposite spins. The shape and orientation of these orbitals are crucial for understanding chemical bonding and the structure of the periodic table.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. orbital
  2. chemical bonding - Shapes of atomic orbitals
  3. transition metal - Atomic orbitals of the hydrogen atom

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.