Number of nodal planes that a p-orbital has

Options

A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3

Answer

To determine the number of nodal planes that a p-orbital has, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Concept of Nodal Planes**:
- A nodal plane is defined as a plane where the probability of finding an electron is zero. This means that in this plane, the electron density is absent.

2. **Identify the Types of p-Orbitals**:
- There are three types of p-orbitals: \( p_x \), \( p_y \), and \( p_z \). Each of these orbitals has a specific orientation in three-dimensional space.

3. **Visualize the p-Orbitals**:
- The \( p_x \) orbital is oriented along the x-axis, the \( p_y \) orbital along the y-axis, and the \( p_z \) orbital along the z-axis. Each of these orbitals has two lobes that are symmetrical about the axis they are aligned with.

4. **Determine the Nodal Plane for Each p-Orbital**:
- For the \( p_x \) orbital, the nodal plane is the y-z plane, which cuts through the midpoint of the orbital and does not intersect the lobes.
- For the \( p_y \) orbital, the nodal plane is the x-z plane.
- For the \( p_z \) orbital, the nodal plane is the x-y plane.

5. **Count the Nodal Planes**:
- Each p-orbital has exactly one nodal plane. Therefore, regardless of which p-orbital you are considering, the number of nodal planes remains consistent.

6. **Conclusion**:
- The number of nodal planes that a p-orbital has is **1**.

### Final Answer:
The number of nodal planes that a p-orbital has is **1**.

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