Differences between Atomic and Molecular Orbitals


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The important differences between atomic and molecular orbitals are:

Differences between Atomic and Molecular Orbitals

 Atomic orbital  Molecular orbital
 An electron in atomic orbital isunder the influence of only one positive nucleus of the atom  An electron in molecular orbital is under the influence of two or more nuclei depending upon the number of atoms present in the molecule
 Atomic orbitals are inherent property of an atom  Molecular orbitals are formed by the combination of atomic orbitals
 They have simple shapes  They have complex shapes