Why is an atom spherical in shape?

When we talk of the shape of an atom, we are referring to the shape of the imaginary volume in which the atom’s electrons orbit. Different electrons orbit at different levels and even at the same level they take different orbits. The shape of the atom depends on several factors, including the and the electrostatic forces between atomic particles. It is not true that all atoms exhibit spherical shape; only the simplest of the atoms have that shape. Heavy atoms have more complex shapes. Examples of atoms that are not spherical are those of iron and carbon. In quantum physics, the time independent Schroedinger’s equation gives an insight into the shape of atoms.