Symmetric vs Nodal planes

[Shreya Thyagarajan Dis1A]

Hi,
I’m a bit confused on the difference between a symmetric plane and a nodal plane. I know that s orbitals are symmetric and the other ones are not, but I don’t understand why that is.

[August_Blatney_1A]

Nodal planes are areas with no electron density, meaning electrons are not present there. Because s-orbitals don't have nodal planes, the electrons in the orbital are distributed evenly throughout the orbital so they are symmetric because of its spherical shape. Orbitals with nodal planes are not symmetrical because there are areas where electrons don't exist. This creates the weird not symmetrical donut and oval like shapes of the orbitals.

[005683006]

THe s orbital has a symmetrical nodal plane, as it is spherical. On the other hand, p orbitals have an asymmetrical nodal plane.

[Jordan Kaplan 2E]

I saw in another post someone thought of the symmetric vs non-symmetric as the distribution not the shapes themselves. In an s-orbital, the distribution of the electrons are symmetrical, but in p-,d-,and f-orbitals, the nodal plane causes the distrbution of the e- to be non-symmetrical.

[Daryl Gall 1E]

A nodal plane is a region where the probability of finding electrons is zero. We can think of symmetry as the distribution of electrons. S-orbitals do not have nodal planes, thus electrons can be found anywhere in the entire spherical region, making them symmetrical. However, other orbitals have nodal planes which separates the distribution of electrons, making them non-symetrical.

[Ashley Wilson 2L]

The electron distribution on either side of a symmetric plane is equal. For example, an s-subshell has symmetrical electron distribution because dividing a sphere in any direction creates two symmetrical divisions. Nodal planes, however, represent an area where the electron density is zero; this means electrons can not exist within this plane.

[Alyssa Cua 2J]

Nodal planes are areas with no electron density, meaning electrons are not present there. Because s-orbitals don't have nodal planes, the electrons in the orbital are distributed evenly throughout the orbital so they are symmetric because of its spherical shape. Orbitals with nodal planes are not symmetrical because there are areas where electrons don't exist. This creates the weird not symmetrical donut and oval like shapes of the orbitals.

Thank you for explaining. This really helped me understand these concepts! :D