Visualization of Orbitals (9)–Hydrogen Atomic Orbital as a Standing Wave

Abstract

The characteristic of the one-dimensional standing wave in a string is observed in the cross section of the two-dimensional standing wave of a circular membrane. Vibrations of a circular membrane of a kettledrum are known to be simulated by the use of Bessel functions [5-14]. The cross section pattern of three-dimensional atomic orbitals obtained from the wave equation of a hydrogen atom is shown to have wave character by comparison with the dynamic standing wave of a two-dimensional circular membrane.