What is a nodal plane?

[Divya Pimparkar 1E]

What does a nodal plane have to do with electron density distribution?

[Alexandra Ortega 4D]

A nodal plane is a plane where there is no probability of finding an electron. There is no electron density distribution in a nodal plane.

[Sara Flynn 2C]

A nodal plane is an area of the orbital where there is zero electron density. The p, d, and f orbitals have nodal planes while the s orbital does not. This is why the s orbital is a sphere while the p orbital has two lobes on either side of the nucleus with a nodal plane in between them.

[Luc Lorain 1L]

Just add some extra info (got to get those Chem Comm points!) This has to do with the shape of each orbital shell. Since the s-orbital is spherical, it does not have any risk of going through the actual nucleus of the atom, where the Heisenberg uncertainty principle tells us there is almost no chance of finding electrons. The other orbitals are nodal, meaning they have symmetrical blob-like protrusion where electrons may be found. You can kind of think of the nodal plane as the point where nodes connect, which is around where the nucleus is.

[Brian Chang 2H]

A nodal plane is where there is zero electron density (no electrons there).

[Aleeque Marselian 1A]

A nodal plane is a plane, where the probability of finding an electron is zero. For example, the p orbitals have one nodal plane and d orbitals have two.