Question

The number of nodal planes present in ${\sigma }^{\ast }2s$ anti- bonding orbital is.

• A. 1
• B. 2
• C. 0
• D. 3

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

In the anti-bonding molecular orbital, most of the electron density is located away from the space between the nuclei, as a result of which there is a nodal plane (i.e., a plane at which the electron density is zero) between the nuclei. The number of nodal planes present in ${\sigma }^{\ast }2s$ anti-bonding orbitals is $1.$