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The structure of white phosphorus is...

The structure of white phosphorus is

A

square planar

B

pyramidal

C

tetrahedral

D

trigonal planar

Text Solution

AI Generated Solution

The correct Answer is:
To determine the structure of white phosphorus (P4), we can analyze the bonding and geometry of the molecule step by step. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Identify the Molecular Formula**: - White phosphorus is represented by the molecular formula P4. This indicates that there are four phosphorus atoms in the molecule. 2. **Determine the Valence Electrons**: - Phosphorus is in Group 15 of the periodic table, which means it has 5 valence electrons. Therefore, for four phosphorus atoms, the total number of valence electrons is 4 × 5 = 20 electrons. 3. **Construct the Lewis Structure**: - In the P4 molecule, each phosphorus atom forms bonds with three other phosphorus atoms. To visualize this, we can draw a tetrahedral arrangement where each phosphorus atom is at a vertex of a tetrahedron. 4. **Analyze the Bonding**: - Each phosphorus atom forms single bonds with three neighboring phosphorus atoms. In terms of bonding, these are all sigma (σ) bonds since they are single bonds. 5. **Count the Sigma Bonds**: - In the P4 structure, there are a total of 6 sigma bonds formed between the phosphorus atoms. Each bond is a single bond connecting two phosphorus atoms. 6. **Determine the Geometry**: - The arrangement of the four phosphorus atoms in P4 leads to a tetrahedral geometry. The bond angles between the phosphorus atoms are approximately 60 degrees, which indicates a high degree of angle strain due to the tetrahedral arrangement. 7. **Conclude the Structure**: - Given the tetrahedral arrangement and the bonding characteristics, we conclude that the structure of white phosphorus (P4) is tetrahedral. ### Final Answer: The structure of white phosphorus is **tetrahedral**.
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