A molecular orbital is a representation used to indicate electron sharing among several atoms. Molecular orbitals are formed when atomic orbitals overlap during the formation of a molecule. This concept is a fundamental part of molecular orbital theory, which describes the behavior of electrons within molecules in a way that's more nuanced than the simpler Lewis structure or valence bond theory.
In molecular orbital theory, electrons are not assigned to individual bonds between atoms, but are considered to be spread over orbitals that can extend over the entire molecule. These orbitals are typically classified as bonding, non-bonding, or anti-bonding, depending on how the electron density affects the stability of the molecule.
Bonding orbitals help to hold the atoms together, non-bonding orbitals are localized primarily on one atom and do not contribute to bonding, and anti-bonding orbitals can actually weaken the bond between atoms if they are occupied by electrons.
Understanding molecular orbitals is key to grasping how molecules form, how they are structured, and how they behave in chemical reactions. It's a bit like how teamwork plays out in sports – just like how you and your teammates share the ball to score in basketball or football, electrons are shared among atoms to create stability and make the molecule work.
