In terms of electrons, how is a bonding orbital formed from the overlap of two atomic orbitals?
Atomic orbitals represent the probability that an electron will be found in a particular place. The electrons of an atom are most likely to be found near the nucleus of that atom, because they are attracted to the positive charge of the nucleus. The electron cloud is represented spherically. See below for a picture of two atoms (the + represents the nucleus). When two atoms are close together, the electrons are attracted to both nuclei. They are more likely to be found between the two nuclei than on the outside, pulling the electron cloud into an elliptical shape (see other picture below). This sharing of electrons between the two atoms is the covalent bond, or bonding orbital. This explanation is a bit oversimplified.
