bonding orbitals

Bonding orbitals are regions around atoms where electrons are likely to be found when atoms form a chemical bond. Think of them as shared spaces where electrons "belong" to both atoms simultaneously, helping hold the atoms together. These orbitals result from the overlap of individual atomic orbitals, creating a stable connection. The more effectively these orbitals overlap, the stronger the bond. Bonding orbitals explain how atoms combine to form molecules, sharing electrons to achieve more stable, lower-energy arrangements.