Question

What are radial wave function and angular wave function

Answer 1

The radial wave function represents the radial behavior of the electron, while the angular wave function describes the orientation and shape of the electron orbital.

Step-by-step explanation:

The radial wave function and angular wave function are components of the wave function in quantum mechanics.

The radial wave function, denoted by R, depends only on the radial coordinate r and represents the probability density of finding an electron at a certain distance from the nucleus. It is responsible for the radial behavior of the electron.

The angular wave function, denoted as φ (phi), depends on the polar angle θ (theta) and azimuthal angle φ (phi). It describes the orientation and shape of the electron orbital.

Answer 2

The part of a wave function that depends on the angles theta and phi when the Schrodinger wave equation is expressed in spherical polar coordinates Radical wave function is the part of the wave function that depends only on the distance r when the Schrodinger wave equation is expressed in spherical polar coordinates