NEET-XII-Chemistry
07: The p-Block Elements
- #2Why does the reactivity of nitrogen differ from phosphorus?
Ans : Nitrogen is chemically less reactive. This is because of the high stability of its molecule, N2. In N2, the two nitrogen atoms form a triple bond. This triple bond has very high bond strength, which is very difficult to break. It is because of nitrogen’s small size that it is able to form p``\pi``-p``\pi`` bonds with itself. This property is not exhibited by atoms such as phosphorus. Thus, phosphorus is more reactive than nitrogen.