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General Chemistry 2: (Learn Visually Through Animation)
208 students

General Chemistry 2: (Learn Visually Through Animation)

Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Orbitals: The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, The Schrödinger Equation, atomic Orbitals
Created byZein El-Abidine Mohamad Baalbaki
Last updated 2/2026
English
English [Auto],

What you'll learn

  • Explain the core principles of quantum mechanics relevant to atomic structure, including the Heisenberg uncertainty principle and the Schrödinger equation
  • - Interpret the solutions of the Schrödinger equation and relate them to the four quantum numbers that define an electron’s energy, orbital shape, orientation,
  • - Describe and visualize atomic orbitals, including their shapes, orientations, and relative energies in hydrogen and multi-electron atoms.
  • - Analyze the energy levels of electrons in the hydrogen atom, including the concept of orbital degeneracy.
  • - Analyze electron transitions and relate absorption and emission of energy to atomic spectra
  • - Explain the differences between hydrogen and many-electron atoms, focusing on electron–electron repulsion, shielding, and the resulting ordering of orbital en

Course content

4 sections • 10 lectures • 1h 24m total length

  • Introduction5:22

    In this course, we will see how quantum mechanics describes electrons using wavefunctions, quantum numbers, and atomic orbitals. These ideas explain how electrons are arranged in atoms, the shapes and energies of orbitals, and why elements have different chemical properties.

Requirements

  • Completion of high school studies, including basic background in chemistry, physics, and mathematics.
  • • Enrollment in a college or university program, typically in a science-related field such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, pharmacy, or a related major.
  • • Familiarity with simple ideas about energy, waves, light, and motion.
  • • Basic mathematics skills Ability to work with algebra, simple equations, graphs, and basic calculus (derivatives and integrals).
  • • General scientific reasoning skills Comfort with interpreting graphs, following equations, and applying concepts to solve problems.

Description

In this course, we present a systematic introduction to the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics that form the basis of modern atomic theory. The course begins with the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which establishes the intrinsic limits on simultaneously determining the position and momentum of an electron, emphasizing the departure from classical descriptions of particle motion. This is followed by the Schrödinger equation, the central equation of quantum mechanics, which provides a mathematical framework for describing the wave-like behavior of electrons in atoms. By solving the Schrödinger equation for atomic systems, students learn how quantized energy levels arise and how these solutions lead to four quantum numbers—principal, angular momentum, magnetic, and spin—that uniquely describe an electron’s energy, orbital shape, spatial orientation, and intrinsic spin.

The next chapter is devoted to atomic orbitals, focusing on both their geometric shapes and their relative energy levels. The characteristics and graphical representations of the s, p, d, and f orbitals are examined in detail, highlighting differences in symmetry and electron density distribution. Orbital energies are first analyzed for the hydrogen atom, where orbitals sharing the same principal quantum number are degenerate. The discussion is then extended to many-electron atoms, where electron–electron repulsion and shielding effects break this degeneracy, leading to the experimentally observed ordering of orbital energies and providing a foundation for understanding atomic structure and periodic trends.

Who this course is for:

  • First year university students
  • high school students

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