What is the difference between an orbit and revoluion?

Answer 1

Orbitals are 3D while orbits are 2D

Orbitals determine the most probable location where the electron pairs are found

Orbits determine the energy level of the electrons

Orbits can only contain a maximum of 2 electrons

Orbitals can contain 2n^2 electrons

• Orbit is a concept from celestial mechanics and astronomy.
• Orbital is a concept from quantum mechanics, spectrometry, and chemistry.

Answer 2

The way the words are usually used today, revolution and orbit both refer to the same thing, the movement of a planet around a sun, or the movement of a satellite around a larger body, usually a planet. The word revolution usually refers to the over-all gross movement of a planet or satellite. The word orbit is a noun or a verb. As a noun it refers specifically to the paththe orbiting body follows. As a verb it refers to the same over-all movement as the word revolution. There are some variances in the use of the word revolution. The context will almost always clarify ambiguities. The standard use of the word revolution, though, is equivalent to the orbiting of a body around another body. Rotation refers to the spin of a body on its axis.

Answer 3

The difference lies in how an object circles it's parent body. Let me give some examples:

A classic example of an orbit would be how the planets circle the Sun, or how the Moon circles the Earth. These bodies have to follow the perimeter of this circular orbit. They are always going to be moving in a circle-like motion. This even applies to those highly compressed elliptical orbits that far-out comets make around the sun.

An example of orbitals would be electrons orbiting a nucleus. Contrary to the classic Neils Bohr model, electrons don't orbit their nucleus in a circle like the planets orbit the Sun. They are, in fact, all over the place! Their pattern of movements could include, but aren't limited to, zig-zags, squiggles, spirals and any other type of weird movement you can think of! They can move farther away or closer to their nucleus if they want too, but they are, for all intents and purposes, enclosed in a certain space. Since this type of orbit is so different from the classic 'moon and planet' orbit, we simple call it an orbitalinstead.

A good rule of thumb is that orbits are usually gravity based and used mostly in astronomy. Orbitals are usually electro-magnetic based and are used mostly in chemistry. Hope this helped!

Answer 4

The difference between orbit and rotation is:

to orbit is to go around celestial objects (celestial objects means any object in space such as satelittes, other planets et cetera)

Now to rotate is to spin around. I.E. the Earth takes 365 days to make one full rotation!