molecular orbital

chemistry
Also known as: MO

Learn about this topic in these articles:

chemical bonding

  • crystal bonding
    In chemical bonding: Molecular orbital theory

    … of an atom, so a molecular orbital (an MO) is a wave function that describes the distribution of an electron over all the nuclei of a molecule. If the amplitude of the MO wave function is large in the vicinity of a particular atom, then the electron has a high…

    Read More

colour

  • Color wheel
    In colour: Molecular orbitals

    All dyes and most pigments, whether natural or synthetic, are complex organic compounds whose molecular structures include a “colour-bearing” group known as a chromophore, usually a short conjugated system (a

    Read More

molecular spectra

transition elements

  • periodic table
    In transition metal: Molecular orbitals

    If two atoms are close together, some of their orbitals may overlap and participate in the formation of molecular orbitals. Electrons that occupy a molecular orbital interact with the nuclei of both atoms: if this interaction results in a total energy less than that…

    Read More