electron cloud

electron cloud

[i′lek‚trän ‚klau̇d]

(atomic physics)

Picture of an electron state in which the charge is thought of as being smeared out, with the resulting charge density distribution corresponding to the probability distribution function associated with the Schrödinger wave function.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.