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Question

What is the atomicity of Phosphorous?

This question was previously asked in
RRB NTPC 2019 CBT 1 Question Paper (8-Mar-2021) (Shift 2)
The correct answer is
Tetra-atomic

The question asks about the atomicity of Phosphorous and provides several options to choose from.

Let us analyze Phosphorous:

Atomicity: Atomicity refers to the number of atoms present in a molecule of an element. For instance, if a molecule contains two atoms, it is termed as diatomic.

The element phosphorus commonly exists in nature in different allotropic forms, including:

  • White Phosphorus: In this form, phosphorus exists as \(P_4\) molecules. This means each molecule of phosphorus contains 4 atoms, hence it is tetra-atomic.
  • Other forms include: Red phosphorus and black phosphorus. However, these forms are generally polymeric in nature and do not have a defined small number of atoms like \(P_4\).

Among the options provided:

  1. Tetra-atomic: This corresponds to the common molecular form of white phosphorus, \(P_4\). Therefore, this is the correct option.
  2. Monoatomic: This implies a single atom, which does not apply here because phosphorus does not naturally exist as monoatomic.
  3. Poly-atomic: This is a broad categorization and could imply any number of atoms greater than one. While technically true, it is not specific.
  4. Diatomic: This implies a molecule composed of two atoms, which is not applicable to common phosphorus allotropes.

Conclusion: The atomicity of a phosphorus molecule in its common white phosphorus form is tetra-atomic, as it consists of four phosphorus atoms per molecule.

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