What is the significance of the link pointer in a linked list?

• A. It stores the data value
• B. It connects nodes by pointing to the next node in sequence
• C. It keeps a backward link to the previous node
• D. It stores the list length

Answer: (B)

In a linked list, the link pointer is what ties nodes together by storing the address of the next node. This is the mechanism that makes traversal possible: you start at the head and follow each node’s link to reach the following node, continuing until you reach a node whose link is null, which marks the end of the list. The data value lives in a separate data field, not in the link pointer. The presence of a link to the next node enables dynamic growth and removal of nodes, and you only need to update links to insert or delete nodes. In a singly linked list there is just the next pointer; a doubly linked list adds a separate backward pointer, which is a different field. The length of the list isn’t stored by the link pointer either—it’s tracked separately or computed as you traverse. So the link pointer’s significance is that it connects nodes in sequence, forming the chain that defines the list.