Which of the following is empty or void element in HTML?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is (2): The correct option is (2): **
** (Line Break). This element is a fundamental example of what is formally known as a **void element** or **empty element** in HTML. The definition of a void element is one that cannot have any content or child nodes. These elements are syntactically unique because they only possess a start tag and must not have an end tag. The sole purpose of the `
` tag is to insert a forced line break within a block of text, such as an address or poem, and since it modifies the flow of content rather than containing any, it adheres to the strict rules of a void element. The incorrect option is (1): The **\** tag is the Paragraph element, which is a structural element used to define a block of text. As a **container element**, it is specifically designed to enclose and organize textual content, making it fundamentally different from a void element. For instance, you would write `

This is a paragraph of text.

`, where the text itself is the content. It is a block-level element and is intended to be a container. Although a closing tag can sometimes be omitted by the browser in specific contexts, it is structurally defined as an element that accepts content and is therefore not a void element. The incorrect option is (3): The **\** tag stands for Abbreviation. This element is an **inline container** used to mark up a text as an abbreviation or acronym. Its primary function is to wrap the abbreviated text, often providing its full meaning via the global `title` attribute. An example usage is `HTML`. Since it contains and gives semantic meaning to the text it encloses, it is not empty and must therefore have a closing tag, excluding it from the category of void elements. The incorrect option is (4): The **\** tag is a text-level semantic element that formats the content it encloses as superscript text. Its function is to modify the presentation of its **child content**, typically for footnotes or mathematical exponents, for example, `x²`. Like `

` and ``, this means it is a **container element** that must include content (the text to be superscripted). It requires a closing tag (``) to delimit the portion of the text that should be displayed in a superscript style. Therefore, it is a content-holding element and not an empty or void element.