what is the major difference between an orbital and a bohr orbit?

Question

anonymous · Answer

oh thats a good one... just offhand i would say the biggest difference is that a bohr orbital is only 2d (flat) while an orbital as we know it today is 3d.

kainui · Answer

An orbit basically has an electron in it going in a circle. This is wrong, because the electron should be continually accelerated and we know that accelerated charges should radiate electromagntic waves! 

An orbital is just a probability density, and not exactly 3dimensional as much as it is just saying hey, here is the most likely place the electron is to be found, but it could be anywhere. Inside the nucleus. In the middle of our sun. In the middle of the milky way. There's actually an interesting probability that quantum mechanics predicts at any given time part of the earth is really somewhere else lightyears away. So whenever you see that picture of a sphere or dumbells, don't be lulled into thinking that's where the electron slides around. It's really all over the place, but most likely there.