Molecular Orbital Definition

by Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Updated March 06, 2017

Definition: A molecular orbital is an orbital or wavefunction of a molecule's electron. Electrons around a molecule can be associated with more than one atom and are often expressed as a combination of atomic orbitals.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Molecular Orbital Definition." ThoughtCo, Jun. 13, 2014, thoughtco.com/definition-of-molecular-orbital-605367. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2014, June 13). Molecular Orbital Definition. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-molecular-orbital-605367 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Molecular Orbital Definition." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-molecular-orbital-605367 (accessed May 24, 2018).