Question

Nodal plane is found in which orbital?
A. n=2 , l=0
B. n=3 , l=0
C. n=2 , l=1
D. n=1 , l=0

Answer 1

Hint: The number of nodal planes in an orbital is equal to azimuthal quantum number. Now figure out what could be the answer.

Complete step by step answer:

Principal quantum number (n) - The principal quantum number tells us which principal electron shells the electrons occupy.
For example, the electron configuration of helium (He), is 1$s^2$ - the principal quantum number is the number '1'. This means the two electrons of helium occupy the first principal electron shell.
Azimuthal quantum number (l) - The azimuthal quantum number is a quantum number for an atomic orbital that determines its orbital angular momentum and describes the shape of the orbital.
Nodal planes - Nodal planes are regions around the atomic nuclei where the likelihood of finding electrons is zero.
The coordinates of these planes are found by solving the Schrödinger wave equation for atoms or molecules to find the shape of atomic and molecular orbitals.
Nodal planes can be found simply by determining Azimuthal quantum number (l). For a 2P orbital, l =1, so there is 1 Nodal plane.

From all the given options, only option C has the value of l = 1 .

Hence, the correct option is C.

Additional information: We should know that a nodal surface is also called a radial node, which is a hollow spherical region in which electrons cannot be.
Number of nodal surface = n - l - 1
A nodal plane is also called an angular node, which is either a plane or a conic surface where electrons cannot be.
Number of nodal plane = l

Note: Always remember a node is a point where the electron positional probability is zero. The total number of nodes present in this orbital is equal to n - 1. It is the sum of the number of nodal surfaces and the number of nodal planes.