How do I calculate where the nodal planes are on any given molecular orbital?
1 Answer
Jan 10, 2018
No one can do that by hand...
Instead, you should stick to predicting or identifying them qualitatively. A nodal plane forms when two lobes of opposite phases try to overlap.
An example is water, which we place on the
Example analyses:
- The
#1b_1# bonding molecular orbital (#Psi_2# ) looks like lungs. There is a vertical nodal plane, perpendicular to the screen.
This formed from the diagonal overlap of the
#2p_x# orbital of#"O"# (which has two lobes opposite in phase to each other already) and the#1s# orbitals of each#"H"# . The#1s# orbital of each#"H"# is opposite in phase to the other.
- The
#3a_1# bonding molecular orbital (#Psi_3# ) looks like two loaves of bread stacked on top. There is a horizontal nodal plane, perpendicular to the screen.
This formed from the sideways overlap of the
#2p_z# orbital with the#1s# orbitals from each#"H"# . Each#"H"# has the#1s# orbital in phase with the other.
