Shapes of Orbitals and Electron Density Patterns The s orbitals are spherical, while p orbitals are polar and oriented in particular directions (x, y, and z) It may be simpler to think of these two letters in terms of orbital shapes (d and f aren't described as readily)However, if you look at a crosssection of an orbital, it isn't uniformShapes of Orbitals and Electron Density Patterns The s orbitals are spherical, while p orbitals are polar and oriented in particular directions (x, y, and z) It may be simpler to think of these two letters in terms of orbital shapes (d and f aren't described as readily)However, if you look at a crosssection of an orbital, it isn't uniformThe s, p, and d orbitals are quite familiar to anyone who has studied the electronic structure of atoms The forbitals, on the other hand, are not so familiar Interestingly, while the s, p, and d orbitals are presented as singular sets, there are two (2) sets in common usage for the forbitals cubic and g
