NEET2026ChemistryChapterActual
Which of the following statements regarding the shape and size of atomic orbitals is correct?
Options
- AAll five 3d orbitals possess identical shapes and differ only in their spatial orientation.
- BThe 4d_ xy orbital is larger in size than the 3d_ xy orbital, but both possess the same number of angular node
- CThe electron probability density for the 3d_ x^2-y^2 orbital is zero along the x and y axes.
- DThe 2s and 3s orbitals are spherically symmetric and have an equal number of radial nodes.
Correct answer
B. The 4d_ xy orbital is larger in size than the 3d_ xy orbital, but both possess the same number of angular node
Step-by-step solution
For option (A), four of the 3d orbitals ( d_ xy , d_ yz , d_ zx , d_ x^2-y^2 ) have a double-dumbbell shape, while the fifth ( d_ z^2 ) has a dumbbell shape with a doughnut-shaped electron cloud around its center. Thus, they do not all possess identical shapes. For option (B), as the principal quantum number n increases, the size of the orbital increases. Therefore, the 4d_ xy orbital is larger than the 3d_ xy orbital. The number of angular nodes is given by the azimuthal quantum number l . For any d orbital, l = 2