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QUANTUM PHYSICS · INTERACTIVE LAB 66
Hydrogen electron orbitals
Rotate probability clouds, reveal nodes and explore the quantum numbers that shape the hydrogen atom.Positive phaseNegative phaseNucleus
Quantum numbersn=3 · ℓ=2 · m=0
Energy−1.511 eV
Radial nodes0
Angular nodes2
Samples4,000
Radial probability r²|R|²
Hydrogen energy levels
An orbital, not an orbit
An orbital describes the probability amplitude for finding an electron. It is not a track followed by a tiny planet. Denser parts of the cloud represent greater probability.
Three quantum numbers
n sets energy and scale, ℓ sets the subshell shape (s, p, d, f or g), and m determines angular orientation. Valid values are enforced automatically.
Nodes and phase
Nodes are surfaces where ψ is zero. Colour shows opposite mathematical phases of the wave function—not positive and negative electrical charge.
Scientific model: Radial functions use associated Laguerre polynomials in atomic units. Angular functions use real orbital combinations for the named chemistry presets. Points are importance-weighted samples of |ψ|²; the rendering is a visual approximation of the calculated distribution.