##  [Born–Oppenheimer Approximation](/born-oppenheimer-approximation) 

  ##  [Born–Oppenheimer Approximation](https://natural.quantumdictionary.io/born-oppenheimer-approximation-0) 

  

 [![Natural & Formal Sciences Dictionary](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2026-01/Natural%20%26%20Formal%20Sciences.png.webp?itok=2kCDRVQv)](/topic-specific-dictionaries/natural-formal-sciences)



**Natural & Formal Sciences Dictionary**

 







 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Definition

An approximation in molecular quantum mechanics that separates electronic and nuclear motion by assuming nuclei move much more slowly than electrons, allowing the electronic Schrödinger equation to be solved at fixed nuclear coordinates to generate potential energy surfaces for nuclear motion.