Orbitals In General Chemistry, Part I: The Great Debate

In Part I of a three-part series, we present an objective survey of the technical literature discussing the inclusion of orbitals in high-school and post-secondary general chemistry. We start with the definition of orbitals. The presentation of orbitals in secondary (high) school is presented with arguments for and against. The content of orbitals in the curriculum of general chemistry is presented and summarized in terms of 1) electron configuration, 2) periodic table, 3) molecular structure and 4) reactivity. Previous discussion in favor of and against each theme is presented. Recent research in chemical education is also reviewed.