What is the difference between nodal surfaces and nodal planes?

Question

Caleb Adams · Accepted Answer

Here's my explanation.

A nodal surface is a region of space in which the probability of finding an electron is zero.

There are different types of nodal surfaces.

For example. the diagram above compares the electron probability densities for the hydrogen #"1s, 2s"#, and #"3s"# orbitals.

Note that all three are spherically symmetrical.

However, for all #"s"# orbitals except the #"1s"#, there are spherical regions of zero electron probability (nodes).

We could call them spherical nodes or spherical nodal surfaces. They are part of a more general set called the radial nodes.

Also, all #"p"# orbitals have areas of zero electron probability in the #xy, xz#, or #yz# planes.

We call these nodal planes or nodal planar surfaces. They are part of a more general set called the angular nodes.

All #"p"# orbitals except #"2p"# have spherical nodes as well as nodal planes.

For example, a #"3p"# orbital has both a spherical and a planar nodal surface.

A #"4p"# orbital has a nodal plane and two spherical nodal surfaces.

#d# and #f# orbitals have even more complicated-looking nodal surfaces.

Mateo Aguilar · Answer

undefined Nodal surfaces refer to regions in space where the wave function of an electron in an atom or molecule has zero amplitude. Nodal planes specifically describe these regions in terms of a two-dimensional plane where the probability density of finding an electron is zero. Nodal surfaces can include nodal planes, but they can also represent other types of surfaces where the electron density is zero.