Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): The plot of radial wavefunction ( ) versus distance ( r ) for a 2p orbital starts from a non-zero value and crosses the r -axis exactly once. Reason (R): For a 2p orbital, the number of radial nodes is zero, and s -orbitals are the only orbitals where the radial wavefunction is non-zero at the nucl

Step-by-step solution

Assertion (A) is incorrect. For a 2p orbital, the principal quantum number n = 2 and the azimuthal quantum number l = 1 . The number of radial nodes is given by n - l - 1 = 2 - 1 - 1 = 0 . Therefore, its versus r plot does not cross the r -axis. Furthermore, since it is a p-orbital ( l = 1 ), the radial wavefunction is zero at the nucleus ( r = 0 ), so the plot must start from the origin. Reason (R) is correct. The calculation n - l - 1 = 0 confirms that a 2p orbital has zero radial nodes. According to quantum mech