American Chemical Society (ACS) Chemistry Test 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The Dxy orbital is one of the five d orbitals found in transition metals and has a specific shape and orientation. It is characterized by its presence in the xy plane, meaning it has lobes that occupy the space between the x and y axes. This configuration distinguishes it from other d orbitals, each of which has unique spatial orientations and nodal patterns.

The notation used for d orbitals indicates their specific orientation in three-dimensional space. The Dxy designation directly describes the orbital's shape and position, whereas other notations like Dy2 or Dz2 imply different orbital configurations that do not correspond to the specific characteristics of the Dxy orbital.

For example, the Dz2 orbital has a different shape, characterized by a lobe along the z-axis and a donut-shaped ring around the equator, which does not relate to the Dxy's orientation. Similarly, Dx2y2, although closer in nomenclature, actually refers to a different d orbital that lies along the x and y axes, not between them.

Thus, the Dxy orbital's identification relies on its precise designation which accurately reflects its shape and its relationship to the coordinate axes around which it is oriented.