Home > Chemistry > Bonding and Antibonding Orbitals

How are antibonding orbitals formed?

Answer 1

When two atoms approach one another, an anti-bonding orbital is created, and the overlap between atomic orbitals causes destructive interference.

A node is formed as a result of the destructive interference, which lowers the electron density between the two atoms and increases the kinetic and potential energy of any electrons in the resulting anti-bonding orbital. No chemical bond is formed because the system's energy is higher when the atoms are close to each other than when they are being pulled apart.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Cooper Adams

Destructive interference, or antibonding orbitals, are created when the wave functions of atomic orbitals combine out of phase. This lowers the electron density between the nuclei of bonding atoms, weakening the bond.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.