Question

What is the probability of finding an electron anywhere in one lobe of a p-orbital given that it occupies that orbital? Recall –p orbitals come in sets of three.

Answer 1

Ans-

all electrons inhabit s orbitals (in fact, very few electrons live occupy s orbitals). At the first energy level, the only orbital available to electrons is the 1s orbital, but at the second level, as well as a 2s orbital, there are 2p orbitals. A p orbital is shaped like 2 identical balloons tied together at the nucleus. The orbital shows where there is a 95% chance of finding a particular electron.

Imagine a horizontal plane through the nucleus, with one lobe of the orbital above the plane and the other beneath it; there is a zero probability of finding the electron on that plane. How does the electron get from one lobe to the other if it can never pass through the plane of the nucleus? At an introductory level, it must simply be accepted. To find out more, read about the wave nature of electrons.

At any one energy level it is possible to have three absolutely equivalent p orbitals pointing mutually at right angles to each other. These are arbitrarily given the symbols px, py and pz. This is simply for convenience; the x, y, and z directions change constantly as the atom tumbles in space.

The p orbitals at the second energy level are called 2px, 2py and 2pz. There are similar orbitals at subsequent levels: 3px, 3py, 3pz, 4px, 4py, 4pz and so on. All levels except for the first level have p orbitals. At the higher levels the lobes are more elongated, with the most likely place to find the electron more distant from the nucleus.