Difference Between Orbit and Orbitals

Orbit can be defined as a fixed path in which the electrons can revolve around the nucleus of an atom. They are mainly elliptical and circular in nature. The atoms revolve within the circular path because the electrons are pulled or attracted towards the nucleus of the atom. Whereas orbital is an area where there are maximum chances to get electrons around the nucleus of an atom. It is the 3D space that surrounds the nucleus of an atom. It can represent the wave nature of an electron.

Key Terms- orbit, orbitals, nucleus, atoms, electrons, Bohr's model.

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What is an Orbit? 

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The orbit is a circular path of a nucleus in which the electrons revolve. In other words we can say that the electrons spin around the nucleus in an orbit.

• The electrons are pulled towards the nucleus of an atom and they can move from one orbit to another. 
• This is because the electrons can absorb or release the energy due to their movement from higher energy level to the lower energy level. 
• This can be understood with the theory of Bohr's model of atomic structure which suggests that the first shell of an atom can acquire only two atoms at a time. 

Orbit of an atom

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What is an Orbital? 

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The word 'orbital' is slightly different from the orbit. It is a kind of function used for calculating the pair of electrons present in the atom. The region where atoms are present is known as atomic orbital. 

• In this region, there is a maximum probability of getting an electron. 
• Different orbitals have different shapes as well as sizes. 
• The atom contains a pair of electrons which are situated at a fixed area within the atomic orbitals. 
• There are different types of Orbitals- s, p,d, and f. 
• The orbital of each atom is characterized by some specific values of quantum numbers n, l and ml.

Atomic Orbitals

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Shapes of Orbital

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The region of space around the nucleus where the probability of finding an electron of given energy is maximum and the shape of that region gives the shape of the orbital. The square of probability functions or angular wave functions gives the shape of orbitals. 

1. For s-orbitals

For s-orbitals, when l = 0, the value of m is zero i.e there is only one attainable orientation. 

• This implies that the likelihood of finding an associate degree negatron is that the same altogether directions at a given distance from the nucleus. 
• It should, therefore, be spherical in form. 
• Hence,all s- orbitals are non- directional and spherically symmetrical concerning the nucleus. 

2. For p-subshell

 l = one, there are 3 values of m particularly -1, 0, +1. It means p orbitals will have 3 attainable orientations. 

• These 3 p-orbitals are equal in energy (degenerate state). However they disagree in their orientations. 
• Every p-orbital consists of 2 lobes symmetrical with a couple of explicit axes. 
• It is the orientation of the lobes and they are denoted as 2px , 2py and 2pz as they are symmetrical concerning X,Y and Z - axis. 

3. For d-subshell

 l = 2, there are 5 values of m specifically -2, -1, 0, 1, 2. It

means that d- orbitals will have 5 orientations. 

• These area units are dxy, dyz,dxz, dx2-y2 and dz2; as an example, 3dxy, 3dyz, 3dzx, 3dx2-y2 and 3dz2. The dxy, dyz and dzx orbitals have the same form i.e Herbaceous plant leaf forms however exist XY, YZ and ZX-planes severally.
• The dz2 orbital is symmetrical concerning coordinate axis and includes a dumb - curve with a doughnut formed negatron cloud within the centre. The dx2-y2 orbital is additionally a clover leaf formed. 
• However its leaves are unit directed on the X and Y- axis.

4. For f-subshell

The f - subshell is the fourth subshell in the segment. There is only space for 7 orbitals and the 14 electrons.where there is maximum space of 7 orbitals and 14 electrons. The shell has no exact shape because it is very complex for the orientation.

Shapes of s, p, d, f orbitals

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Differences Between Orbit and Orbitals

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Here we have distinguished between the orbit and the orbitals in different aspects.

Also Read: Alpha-Particle scattering and Rutherford's Nuclear Model of Atom

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Things to Remember

• Orbit is a circular path in which the pair of electrons spin around the nucleus of an atom. 
• The orbitals are defined as the 3-d area where there are maximum chances of finding the pair of electrons around the nucleus of the atom. 
• There are different types of Orbitals i.e. S orbital, P orbital, d orbital and f orbital. 
• They all are different in their nature, shapes and sizes. 
• The sizes of the orbitals change due to the orientation. 
• The orbits cannot follow the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle whereas the Orbital can and it does not represent the exact position of an electron.

Previous Year’s Questions Related to Orbit and Orbitals:

• The nucleus \(\frac{64}{29}\)Cu accepts an orbital electron to yield in (WB JEE 2018)
• According to Bohr's theory, the angular momentum for an electron of 3rd orbit is (VITEE 2014)
• 20kV potential is applied across the X-ray tube, and the minimum wavelength of X-ray emitted will be (JIPMER 2004)
• Experiment, which proved the existence of atomic nucleus, is (JIPMER 1998)
• The wavelength of the energy emitted when electrons come from the fourth orbit to the second orbit in hydrogen is 20,397 cm−120,397 cm−1 . The wavelength of energy for the same transition in He+ is (JIPMER 2000)