In a cyclotrimetaphosphoric acid molecule, how many P-Osingle and double bonds are present ?

Options

A. 3 double bonds, 9 single bonds
B. 6 double bonds, 6 single bonds
C. 3 double bonds , 12 single bonds
D. Zero double bonds, 12 single bonds

Explanation

To determine the number of P-O single and double bonds in a cyclotrimetaphosphoric acid molecule, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Structure
Cyclotrimetaphosphoric acid (often represented as \( H_3PO_3 \) in cyclic form) consists of a cyclic arrangement of phosphorus and oxygen atoms. The structure resembles a benzene ring where phosphorus atoms are connected by oxygen atoms.

### Step 2: Identify the Bonds
In the structure of cyclotrimetaphosphoric acid, we need to identify the types of bonds:
- **P-O Double Bonds**: These are the bonds where phosphorus is double-bonded to oxygen.
- **P-O Single Bonds**: These are the bonds where phosphorus is single-bonded to oxygen.

### Step 3: Count the Double Bonds
From the structure, we can see that there are three phosphorus atoms, and each phosphorus atom forms a double bond with one oxygen atom. Therefore, we count:
- **P-O Double Bonds**: 3

### Step 4: Count the Single Bonds
Next, we count the single bonds. In addition to the double bonds, each phosphorus atom is also connected to other oxygen atoms through single bonds. Counting these:
- Each phosphorus atom forms single bonds with the remaining oxygen atoms.
- After counting, we find that there are a total of 9 single bonds.

### Conclusion
Thus, in a cyclotrimetaphosphoric acid molecule, there are:
- **3 P-O Double Bonds**
- **9 P-O Single Bonds**

### Final Answer
The correct answer is:
- **3 double bonds and 9 single bonds.**