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Orbital Definition

Chemistry Glossary Definition of Orbital

By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com

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Definition: Electron cloud having an energy state described by given values of the n, l, and ml quantum numbers. An orbital can contain two electrons with paired spins and is often associated with a specific region of an atom.

Examples: The electrons in the 2px orbital of an atom are generally found within a dumbbell-shaped cloud about the x-axis.

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