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Dr. Gutow's Nice Atomic Orbital Pictures

Below are some images created using the GAMESS ab initio quantum mechanics package and Molden-4.4.  Molden is visualization software designed for viewing the output of quantum calculations.  The orbitals were generated from the GAMESS .log file from a single point energy calculation on Cl at the 6-311G++(2d,p) level of theory.  The major goal of these images is to help you visualize how the radial nodes show up in the orbitals as we go to higher and higher levels.  The images below start with the lower energy orbitals and go on up.  Each time the mesh surface changes color a node has been crossed.  A node is a region of space in which the electron occupying the orbital cannot be found.  Just a representative selection of orbitals is shown.

2s | 2p | 3s | 3p | 3dz2 | 3dxy | 4p

Other sites with atomic and molecular orbital pictures:
Mark Winter's Orbitron site from Sheffield University in England has very pretty pictures.


2s orbital.  Notice there is 1 radial nodes. The 1s, which is lower in energy, has no nodes.Chlorine 2s orbital electron density
2s | 2p | 3s | 3p | 3dz2 | 3dxy | 4p

2p orbital. Notice that this orbital has no radial nodes, just one angular nodal plane.
Cl-2p electron density surface.
2s | 2p | 3s | 3p | 3dz2 | 3dxy | 4p

3s orbital. Notice that this orbital has 2 radial nodes.
Cl-3s orbital electron density
2s | 2p | 3s | 3p | 3dz2 | 3dxy | 4p

3p orbital.  Notice that this orbital has 1 radial node in addition to the angular nodal plane of a p orbital.
Cl-3p orbital electron density
2s | 2p | 3s | 3p | 3dz2 | 3dxy | 4p

3dz2 orbital.  Notice that this orbital has only angular nodes.
Cl-3dz^2 orbital electron density
2s | 2p | 3s | 3p | 3dz2 | 3dxy | 4p

3dxy orbital.  Again notice the orbital has only angular nodes.
Cl-3dxy orbital electron density
2s | 2p | 3s | 3p | 3dz2 | 3dxy | 4p

4p orbital.  Notice this orbital has 2 radial nodes in addition to the angular nodal plane of a p orbital.
Cl-4p orbital electron density
2s | 2p | 3s | 3p | 3dz2 | 3dxy | 4p

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Last Updated: September 7, 2009
Expires: September 7, 2009