The number of nodal planes in a orbital is
- A.one
- B.two
- C.three
- D.zero
Show answer and solution
Correct option: A
Solution
A pₓ orbital has its electron density along the x-axis, with two lobes on either side. The nodal plane is the plane where the probability of finding the electron is zero — for pₓ, this is the yz-plane (x = 0), which bisects the two lobes perpendicularly. There is exactly one such nodal plane, giving the answer as 1.
[2001]