Consider the following schematic plots of orbital wavefunction ( $ψ_{r}$ ) against distance ( $r$ ) from the nucleus.

The figure representing two radial nodes in the orbital isNEET 2026 (Re-NEET)

Question

Consider the following schematic plots of orbital wavefunction ( ψ r ​ ) against distance ( r ) from the nucleus. The figure representing two radial nodes in the orbital isNEET 2026 (Re-NEET)

TestHub · Accepted Answer

A radial node is a point where the radial wavefunction $ψ_{r}$ becomes zero and changes sign, excluding the origin ( $r = 0$ ) and infinity ( $r \to \infty$ ).

In a plot of $ψ_{r}$ versus $r$ , the number of radial nodes corresponds to the number of times the curve crosses the horizontal axis ( $ψ_{r} = 0$ ).

Analyzing the given plots:
Figure A: The curve does not cross the $r$ -axis. Number of radial nodes = $0$ .
Figure B: The curve crosses the $r$ -axis once. Number of radial nodes = $1$ .
Figure C: The curve crosses the $r$ -axis twice. Number of radial nodes = $2$ .
Figure D: The curve crosses the $r$ -axis once. Number of radial nodes = $1$ .

Therefore, figure C represents an orbital with two radial nodes.

Answer: C

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