Question

Which statement is false for white phosphorus (\(P_4\))?

• A. It has six P–P single bonds
• B. It has four P–P single bonds
• C. It has four lone pairs of electrons
• D. It has P–P–P angle \(60^\circ\)

Hint:

\(P_4\) has tetrahedral structure with strained \(60^\circ\) bond angles.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To determine which statement is false for white phosphorus (\(P_4\)), we must first understand the structure of this molecule.

White phosphorus is composed of four phosphorus atoms arranged in a tetrahedral fashion. This structure is often referred to as a P₄ tetrahedron. Each vertex of this tetrahedron represents a phosphorus atom, and each edge of the tetrahedron represents a phosphorus–phosphorus (P–P) single bond. The structure can be visualized as follows:

Now, let's analyze the given statements:

1. Statement: It has six P–P single bonds 
   This statement is false. In a tetrahedral arrangement, each vertex (phosphorus atom) is connected to three others, resulting in a total of six P–P bonds.
2. Statement: It has four P–P single bonds 
   This statement is true. The tetrahedral structure of \(P_4\) indeed contains six P–P bonds, not four.
3. Statement: It has four lone pairs of electrons 
   This statement is true. Each phosphorus atom in \(P_4\) has one lone pair of electrons. As there are four phosphorus atoms, there are a total of four lone pairs in the molecule.
4. Statement: It has P–P–P angle \(60^\circ\) 
   This statement is true. In the tetrahedral structure, the P–P–P bond angle is indeed approximately \(60^\circ\).

Based on this analysis, the false statement in the context of white phosphorus (\(P_4\)) is: It has six P–P single bonds.