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3 votes
Why are atoms usually portrayed as spheres when most orbitals are not spherically shaped?

asked
User Toskv
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1 Answer

1 vote
It is because the orbitals take up a little portion of the atom. The most dense area of the atom is the nucleus which contains the protons and the neutrons. Although it is very small, the mass is concentrated in this part. So, even if the orbitals are not spherical, it does not matter because the nucleus is spherical.
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User Jo Douglass
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8.8k points
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