Why Do 1s and 2s Orbitals Have Different Electron Probabilities?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on the differences in electron probability distributions between 1s and 2s orbitals, highlighting that the 1s orbital has no nodes while the 2s orbital contains one node. This difference affects the probability of locating an electron at various distances from the nucleus. The significance of nodes is explained through the wavefunction, which can be separated into radial and angular components; for 1s and 2s, the angular parts are identical, but the radial parts differ. The presence of nodes indicates regions where the probability of finding an electron is zero, influencing the overall electron distribution. Understanding these concepts is crucial for grasping atomic structure and electron behavior in quantum mechanics.
AdityaDev
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From the ψ2 vs r graph (i.e probability of finding an electron vs distance from nucleus graph), there are no nodes for 1s orbital while there is a node in the 2s orbital graph.But they have similar structures right? Then why is there a difference in finding the probability of finding an electron? Also, the p-orbitals 2p,3p,etc have similar structures. Then why is there a difference in number of nodes? Can someone explain this by providing images of 1s,2s orbitals?
 
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AdityaDev said:
Then why is there a difference in number of nodes?
What is the significance of the node? The image I have of 1s is a cloud enveloping the nucleus. Everywhere within this cloud has a chance of containing "the electron", hence no node.
 
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You can factorize the wavefunction into a radial function and the angular function (which is a spherical harmonic). For 1s and 2s, the angular part is the same, but the radial part isn't.
 
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