Question

The species, having bond angles of 120° is

• A. \(PH_3\)
• B. \(CIF_3\)
• C. \(NCl_3\)
• D. \(BCl_3\)

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The question asks us to identify which of the given species has bond angles of 120°. Let's analyze each option:

1. \(PH_3\) (Phosphine):
   • Phosphine has a pyramidal geometry due to the presence of a lone pair on the phosphorus atom.
   • The angle is significantly less than 120°, typically around \(93.5°\), due to lone pair-bond pair repulsion.
2. \(CIF_3\) (Chlorine trifluoride):
   • This molecule has a T-shaped structure due to the presence of two lone pairs, which results in distorted bond angles, not 120°.
3. \(NCl_3\) (Nitrogen trichloride):
   • Similar to \(PH_3\), it has a pyramidal shape with bond angles less than 120°, generally around \(102°\), due to the lone pair on nitrogen.
4. \(BCl_3\) (Boron trichloride):
   • Boron trichloride has a trigonal planar structure.
   • All positions around the boron atom are equivalent in this planar structure, leading to bond angles of 120°.

Based on the analysis, \(BCl_3\) is the correct answer, as it is the only species with a planar structure resulting in 120° bond angles. Thus, the correct answer is:

\(BCl_3\)