Question:medium

Which of the following is an INCORRECT statement?

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Always look for obvious lone-pair donors when testing lists of electrophiles. Since Ammonia ($\text{NH}_3$) and Water ($\text{H}_2\text{O}$) are classic examples of Lewis bases (nucleophiles), any option labeling them as electrophiles is immediately incorrect.
Updated On: May 20, 2026
  • In sodium nitroprusside test for Sulphur, the violet colour is due to formation of complex $\text{Na}_4[\text{Fe}(\text{CN})_5\text{NOS}]$
  • $\text{CH}_3\text{OH}$ and $\text{CH}_3\text{COCH}_3$ are separated by fractional distillation
  • $\text{CH}_3\text{COO}^-$, $\text{CN}^-$, $\text{CH}_3\text{OH}$, $\text{CH}_3-\text{O}-\text{CH}_3$, $(\text{CH}_3)_3\text{N}$ are nucleophiles
  • $\text{AlCl}_3$, $\text{NH}_3$, $\text{SO}_3$, $\text{NO}_2^+$, $\text{H}_2\text{O}$ are electrophiles
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Understanding the Concept: Chemical species are categorized based on their electron density preferences:
Electrophiles are electron-deficient species (Lewis acids) that accept an electron pair. They can be positively charged ($\text{NO}_2^+$) or neutral molecules with vacant valence shells ($\text{AlCl}_3$, $\text{SO}_3$).
Nucleophiles are electron-rich species (Lewis bases) that carry a lone pair of electrons or a negative charge ($\text{NH}_3$, $\text{H}_2\text{O}$, $\text{CN}^-$) available to donate into an electron-deficient center.

Step 1: Evaluate Statement (D).
Statement (D) includes Ammonia ($\text{NH}_3$) and Water ($\text{H}_2\text{O}$) in a list of electrophiles. Both ammonia and water have non-bonding lone pairs on their central heteroatoms ($\ddot{\text{N}}\text{H}_3$ and $\text{H}_2\ddot{\text{O}}$:), which allows them to readily donate electron pairs. This means they function as nucleophiles, not electrophiles. Therefore, statement (D) contains an incorrect classification, making it the correct choice for this question.
Step 2: Verify why the other options are correct statements.

Statement (A) is a valid chemical fact: The sodium nitroprusside test for sulfur forms a characteristic violet-colored coordination complex via the reaction: $\text{Na}_2[\text{Fe}(\text{CN})_5\text{NO}] + \text{Na}_2\text{S} \rightarrow \text{Na}_4[\text{Fe}(\text{CN})_5\text{NOS}]$.
Statement (B) is a valid practical fact: Methanol (b.p. $64.7^\circ\text{C}$) and acetone (b.p. $56^\circ\text{C}$) have close boiling points, meaning fractional distillation is required to separate them cleanly.
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