Atomic orbitals 5f wave functions

This page contains movies depicting the 5f wave functions and their nodal structures. In all cases the green zones are where the 5f wave function has positive values and the white zones denote negative values. See the 5f electron density page for movies depicting the 5f electron_density and nodal structures.

In each case the graph on the left is a surface plot of ψ_5f on a slice drawn through the nucleus. They show the wave function collapsing on to the plane so as to show the nodal struction on the plane. The plot on the right shows values along a single line drawn through the nucleus. The points on the line plot or the surface plot where the colour changes from one to the other represent the points at which the orbital nodal spheres crosses the line or surface.

Each of the 5f orbitals has three planar nodes or conical nodes. The 5f orbitals have one spherical node but the higher f-orbitals ( 6f and 7f) have more while the lower orbitals ( 4f) have fewer.

5f_z³, 5f_x³, and 5f_y³ orbital wave functions

Movie depicting the 5f_z³ wave functions (ψ_5fz³)². The z-axis lies from left to right. The 5f_x³ and 5f_y³ orbitals are identical in appearance but orientated along the x and y axes respecively. The 5f_z³ orbital has one planar and two conical nodes. The 5f orbitals have one spherical node but the higher f-orbitals ( 6f and 7f) have more while the lower orbitals (4f) have none.

5f_xz² and 5f_yz² orbital wave functions

5f_xyz and 5f_z(x²-y²) wave functions

Movie depicting the 5f_xyz wave function (ψ_5fxyz)². The left image shows a two-dimensional wave function plot of the 5f_xyz orbital (across the x=y plane). The right image is along the x=y, z=0 line. The 5f_xyz and 5f_z(x²-y²) are related to each other by a 45° rotation about the z-axis.

5f_y(3x²-y²) and 5f_x(x²-3y²) wave functions

The first image shows a two-dimensional wave function plot of the 5f_x(x²-3y²) orbital (across the z=0 plane, x axis pointing right). The 5f_y(3x²-y²) orbital is identical in appearance but rotated by 90° about the vertical z-axis.