atomiavaruudessa
Atomiavaruus (literally “atomic space”) refers to the spatial region surrounding the nucleus of an atom that is occupied by electrons and determines the chemical and physical properties of the atom. In classical physics this region could be imagined as the space inside the orbit of a planet; modern quantum mechanics replaces the idea of fixed paths with probability densities described by atomic orbitals. Each orbital, labeled s, p, d or f, corresponds to a specific solution of the Schrödinger equation for the hydrogen atom and extended to multi-electron atoms using approximations such as the Hartree–Fock method. The shape and extent of an orbital are governed by its energy level (n) and angular momentum quantum number (l). The volume of an atom, often measured by its covalent or van der Waals radius, is a practical manifestation of the outermost orbital’s extent and is crucial for predicting how atoms pack in solids or interact in a chemical reaction.
Atomiavaruuden properties are fundamental to several scientific disciplines. In chemistry, the overlap of orbitals determines bond
Research into atomic space continues to evolve. Advances in computational chemistry enable more accurate mapping of