# Why do atomic orbitals have their unique shapes?

Is there a scientific explanation to why p orbitals are shaped like two balloons, etc. I think it has got to do with electron repulsions. Wikipedia says they are 'characterised by unique values of quantum numbers', of which I don't understand.

The pictures that we typically use to represent orbitals are really just graphs showing the 3-dimensional probability of finding an electron (that occupies the orbital being examined) in space. $\ce{\Psi}$ is the wavefunction that describes the electron with a set of specific quantum numbers. $\ce{\Psi^2}$, gives rise to the electron density distribution (the shape of an orbital) plotted in the graph.
• I'm sorry to be a grave digger, but why does the $\psi^2$ have such unsymmetrical graphs for $l\ge1$? And if possible, could you explain the non mathematical aspect of it? Because i am not yet acquainted with wave equation's advanced math (i have only seen the raw form). From Resnick, I know that the three orbitals (in case of p orbitals)combined together are symmetrical, but why are they indivudally non spherical? – FreezingFire Jun 11 '16 at 17:02