Why nitrogen trihalide cannot be oxidised to pentahalide whereas phosphorous trihaldes can be oxidised to pentahalide ?

Explanation

To understand why nitrogen trihalides cannot be oxidized to pentahalides while phosphorus trihalides can, we need to analyze the electronic configurations and the presence of vacant d-orbitals in both elements.

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Trihalides**:
- Nitrogen trihalide can be represented as NX₃ (where X is a halogen).
- Phosphorus trihalide can be represented as PX₃.

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