Orbital Diagrams

Definition

Orbital diagrams are pictorial descriptions of the electrons in an atom and their placement within energy levels.

Related terms

Quantum Numbers: Set of four numbers used to describe an electron's energy state in an atom.

Pauli Exclusion Principle:

The principle that states no two electrons in an atom can have identical quantum mechanical states.

Aufbau Principle:

The rule that electrons occupy the orbitals of lowest energy first.