Now how exactly was this info discovered/measured? It just seems it would be incredibly difficult to determine concepts on such a minuscule, complex level with any degree of certainty. I’m not necessarily questioning its validity. I’m genuinely curious about how this was studied.
As of my knowledge, scientists use indirect methods like spectroscopy to study how atoms absorb or emit light, revealing energy levels of orbitals. Techniques like photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography map electron densities, while tools like scanning tunneling microscopes let us 'see' electron distributions. These experiments, combined with quantum mechanics, give us a detailed and reliable picture of orbitals without directly observing them. I suggest you to search the web for more.
Now how exactly was this info discovered/measured? It just seems it would be incredibly difficult to determine concepts on such a minuscule, complex level with any degree of certainty. I’m not necessarily questioning its validity. I’m genuinely curious about how this was studied.
As of my knowledge, scientists use indirect methods like spectroscopy to study how atoms absorb or emit light, revealing energy levels of orbitals. Techniques like photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography map electron densities, while tools like scanning tunneling microscopes let us 'see' electron distributions. These experiments, combined with quantum mechanics, give us a detailed and reliable picture of orbitals without directly observing them. I suggest you to search the web for more.