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How would we know if we have never experimentally seen them?

Abhinav Rao
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    They don't. They are mere figments of our imagination which just happen to come in handy. – Ivan Neretin Feb 20 '21 at 07:28
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    Also, we've seen them experimentally (for example: https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/38605/why-is-it-possible-to-image-lumo-if-these-orbitals-are-by-definition-unoccupie). How so, would you ask? A contradiction? Well, quantum stuff is *weird*. – Ivan Neretin Feb 20 '21 at 07:31
  • @Ivan Neretin I don't understand whether you are bung sarcastic or serious – Abhinav Rao Feb 20 '21 at 07:43
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    Then you still underappreciate the weirdness of quantum mechanics. Who said I can't be both? – Ivan Neretin Feb 20 '21 at 07:44
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    Nobody says that orbitals exist. But calculations made with them explain correctly the real chemistry like the shapes of molecules. – Maurice Feb 20 '21 at 09:32
  • @Maurice At least (although I am not authoritative at all :) I am not saying that. Perhaps that applies to orbital as reserved to wavefunctions, certainly not to the quantities can be derived from. The linked paper on pentacene speaks for all. – Alchimista Feb 21 '21 at 12:31
  • Its just for our understanding ..its a tool – PV. Feb 26 '21 at 06:35

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