Question

There are no double or triple bonds in P ‚„. How many single bonds does it have?

1) 0
2) 1
3) 2
4) 3

Answer 1

P4 molecule consists of four phosphorus atoms connected to each other with a total of six sigma bonds, as there are no double or triple bonds present.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question refers to a molecule with the formula P4. In this molecule, phosphorus (P) atoms form a tetrahedral structure, where each atom is bonded to three other P atoms with single bonds. No double or triple bonds are present in P4. Each P atom forms three single bonds, and since there are four P atoms, the molecule would have a total of six single sigma bonds (σ bonds).

According to molecular orbital theory, a single covalent bond has a bond order of 1. This is consistent with the Lewis electron-pair approach for P4 where two electrons are shared between two phosphorus atoms, forming a σ bond. In compounds, while all single bonds are σ bonds, multiple bonds (double and triple bonds) consist of both σ and pi bonds (π bonds). Therefore, in the absence of double or triple bonds, P4 would only have σ bonds.