ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Molecular orbital

Molecular orbitals are a way of looking at how the atoms and electrons in a molecule interact with each other. A basic way to think of it is like a puzzle with pieces that fit together. Each puzzle piece (molecular orbital) is like a block with empty spaces of different sizes inside it. When we put the pieces together, some of the empty spaces will match up, and particles (electrons) will be able to "fit" in them. The electrons fill up some blocks and leave other blocks empty, showing us how the molecule behaves.