Question
Assign a reason for the following statement:
Phosphorus (P4) is more reactive than nitrogen (N2).
Solution
Nitrogen molecule is a diatomic and the two nitrogen atoms are linked by a triple bond (N≡ N) forming (pi-pi) bond. As the bond dissociation energy is very high (946 kj mol–1), it is not possible to cleave the triple bond so easily. Therefore, phosphorus (P4) is more reactive than nitrogen (N2).
