p orbital

p orbitals have angular momentum around an axis. There are three p orbitals per energy level. They can be visualized as balloon-shaped dumbells of probability density tied together by their mouths.

This is the second type of electron orbital. There are three p orbitals per shell starting with the second electron shell. Each p orbital is a pair of lobes along one of the three axes (x, y, and z). The p stands for principal.

These orbitals are particularly associated with the chemistry of the main group elements.

The following is a P_x orbital. Rotate this picture onto the y-axis and you get P_y. Rotate it onto the z-axis (not shown, coming in and out of your screen) and you get P_z

		|y
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      ,,,,,,,   |  ,,,,,,,  
     ,,,,,,,,,  | ,,,,,,,,,  
    ,,,,,,,,,,, |,,,,,,,,,,,       x
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    ,,,,,,,,,,, |,,,,,,,,,,,
     ,,,,,,,,,  | ,,,,,,,,,
      ,,,,,,,   |  ,,,,,,,
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