Quantum Mechanical Model
The modern description of the atom in which electrons are represented by wavefunctions giving probability distributions rather than definite paths.
Formula / equation
Ĥψ = Eψ
Unit
Dimensionless
In depth
Developed by Schrödinger, Heisenberg and Dirac, the model replaces orbits with orbitals and accepts that position and momentum cannot be simultaneously specified. It reproduces the spectra of multi-electron atoms, predicts orbital shapes, and provides the foundation for all bonding theories.
Examples in the real world
The dumbbell shape of a 2p orbital and the spherical node in a 2s orbital are direct predictions of the model.