Phosphorus has three allotropic forms __
(i) white phosphorus (ii) red phosphorus and (iii) black phosphorus. Write the difference between white red and black phosphorus on the basis of their structure and reactivity.

Explanation

Difference on the basis of structure
(i) White phosphorus exists as discrete tetrahedral molecules. Its structure is tetrahedral with six P-P bonds.
(ii) Red phosphorus has polymeric structure in which `P_(4)` tetrahedra are linked to each other through P-P bonds resulting in a chain.
Difference on the basis of reactivity
White phosphorus is much more reactive as compared to red phosphorus. Its ignition temperature (303 K) is quite low as compared to that of red phosphorus (543 K)