Question
Examine the diagram of the anti-bonding molecular orbital that results from the out-of-phase combination of two 1 s atomic orbitals.
Why is the left atomic orbital labeled (+) and the right one labeled (?)?
The left orbital has positively charged electrons and the right orbital has negatively charged electrons This is completely arbitrary. The left orbital is the nucleus, which is positively charged and the right orbital is the negatively charged electron. One electron always lives on the left atomic orbital and the other on the right. Examine the diagram of the anti-bonding molecular orbital that results from the out-of-phase combination of two 1 s atomic orbitals. Why is the left atomic orbital labeled (+) and the right one labeled (?)? The left orbital has positively charged electrons and the right orbital has negatively charged electrons This is completely arbitrary. The left orbital is the nucleus, which is positively charged and the right orbital is the negatively charged electron. One electron always lives on the left atomic orbital and the other on the right.
Explanation / Answer
The left atomic orbital labeled (+) and the right one labeled (?).
This is completely arbitrary.
This simply represents the out of phase combination. The two orbitals are given opposit signs which represent opposite phases.