When PCl₅solidifies it forms PCl₄⁺ cations and PCl₆^-anions. According to valence bond theory, what hybrid orbitals are used by phosphorus in the PCl₄⁺ cations? A)sp B)sp ² C)sp ³ D)sp ³ d E)sp ³ d ²

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a PCl4+ cation, the phosphorus atom is tetrahedral in shape and utilizes sp3 hybrid orbitals. Since one chloride ion is lost during the solidification process, the resulting PCl3 molecule should still have a trigonal pyramidal shape with one unhybridized p orbital. In the PCl3 molecule, the phosphorus atom utilizes sp3 hybrid orbitals with one unhybridized p orbital. However, during the solidification process, an additional lone pair is added to the phosphorus atom, resulting in a total of four electron domains around the phosphorus atom. This would cause the phosphorus atom to utilize sp3 hybrid orbitals with one of the hybrid orbitals containing the lone pair of electrons. Therefore, the best choice is C: sp ³.

When PCl5 solidifies It Forms PCl4+ Cations and PCl6-anions

When PCl₅solidifies It Forms PCl₄⁺ Cations and PCl₆^-anions