3p orbital has _____ radial nodes

The correct option is 1.

A node is a region in space around the nucleus where the probability of finding an electron is zero. Nodes are classified into radial (spherical) nodes and angular nodes (nodal planes).

To calculate the number of radial nodes in any given orbital, we use the standard formula:
$$\text{Number of radial nodes}=n-l-1$$
where:
- n is the principal quantum number (which indicates the shell).
- l is the azimuthal (or angular momentum) quantum number (which indicates the subshell type).

For a 3p orbital, the quantum numbers are defined as:
- Principal quantum number, $n=3$
- Azimuthal quantum number, $l=1$ (since the s subshell corresponds to l = 0, p corresponds to l = 1, d corresponds to l = 2, etc.)

Substituting these values into the formula gives:
$$\text{Radial nodes}=3-1-1=1$$
Therefore, a 3p orbital has exactly 1 radial node.