4.45. Assertion: In PCl₅, the axial bonds are slightly longer and hence slightly weaker than the equatorial bonds.

Reason: The axial bond pairs suffer more repulsive interaction from the equatorial bond pairs.

<p><strong>4.45.&nbsp;</strong> (a) It should be noted that all the bond angles in trigonal bipyramidal geometry are not equivalent. In PCl5 the five sp³d orbitals of phosphorus overlap with the singly occupied</p><p>p orbitals of chlorine atoms to form five P–Cl sigma bonds. Three P–Cl bond lie in one plane and make an angle of 120° with each other; these bonds are termed as equatorial bonds.</p><p>The remaining two P–Cl bonds–one lying above and the other lying below the equatorial plane, make an angle of 90° with the plane.These bonds are called axial bonds. As the axial bond pairs suffer more repulsive interaction from the equatorial bond pairs, therefore axial bonds have been found to be slightly longer and hence slightly weaker than the equatorial bonds which makes PCl₅ molecule more reactive.</p>

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