wavefunctions
nounWavefunctions are math rules that tell us where a tiny particle like an electron is likely to be.
The scientist used wavefunctions to predict where the electron would probably appear.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. Mathematical solutions to a wave equation that describe how a wave moves through space and time.
The wavefunctions of the vibrating string showed its possible standing-wave patterns.
3. In chemistry, the shapes of wavefunctions help explain how electrons are arranged around atoms and how bonds form.
Chemists use atomic wavefunctions to understand why some molecules stick together.
4. A way of describing a system in quantum physics that changes over time according to the Schrödinger equation.
As time passed, the wavefunctions evolved smoothly until a measurement was made.