The shape of a p orbital is
Correct answer: B. dumb-bell shaped
- A. spherical
- B. dumb-bell shaped
- C. double dumb-bell shaped
- D. irregular
Explanation
A p orbital has two lobes on either side of the nucleus with a node at the nucleus itself, giving the familiar dumb-bell shape. An s orbital is spherical and most d orbitals are double dumb-bell shaped, which is the distractor here. The three p orbitals lie along the x, y and z axes at right angles to one another.
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About Shapes of Orbitals
Atomic orbitals are three-dimensional regions where an electron is most likely to be found, not fixed circular paths. The content covers the spherical s orbitals, dumbbell-shaped p orbitals, clover-shaped d orbitals, the orientations of orbitals, and how quantum numbers determine their shapes and energy levels.
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