orbital
of or relating to an orbit.
Physics, Chemistry.
a wave function describing the state of a single electron in an atom (atomic orbital ) or in a molecule (molecular orbital ).
the electron in that state.
Origin of orbital
1Other words from orbital
- in·ter·or·bi·tal, adjective
- in·ter·or·bi·tal·ly, adverb
- pre·or·bit·al, adjective
- su·per·or·bit·al, adjective
- trans·or·bi·tal, adjective
- un·or·bi·tal, adjective
- un·or·bi·tal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for orbital
/ (ˈɔːbɪtəl) /
of or denoting an orbit
(of a motorway or major road circuit) circling a large city
a region surrounding an atomic nucleus in which the probability distribution of the electrons is given by a wave function
an orbital road
Derived forms of orbital
- orbitally, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for orbital
[ ôr′bĭ-tl ]
A partial description of the quantum state of an electron (or other particle) orbiting the nucleus of an atom. Different orbitals have different shapes and orientations, depending on the energy of the electron, its angular momentum, and its magnetic number. Orbitals have no clear boundaries; the shape of an orbital, as depicted graphically, shows only the regions around the nucleus in which an electron has a relatively high probability of being found. No more than two electrons (each with opposite spin) can coexist in a single orbital because of the Pauli exclusion principle. See also probability wave quantum number shell.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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