What is the purpose of the link in a node?

• A. To point to the next node in the linked list
• B. To store the node's data
• C. To indicate the end of the list
• D. To point to the previous node

Answer: (A)

The link in a node is there to connect this node to the next node, enabling traversal through the list. In a typical singly linked list, each node holds its data separately and includes a reference to the next node via this link. The link itself isn’t where the data lives; its job is to form the chain that lets you move from node to node. When the next pointer is null, it signals the end of the list, but that null value is a consequence of the linking, not the primary purpose of the link itself. A pointer to the previous node belongs to doubly linked lists, where there can be both forward and backward links.