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Why does chlorine have a lower melting point than phosphorus?

Sagot :

If we compare the size of chlorine and phosphorous, along the period, size of the atom decreases.

So, size of chlorine is smaller thank the phosphorous.

Due to the smaller molecule size of chlorine with comparatively weaker van der Waals attractions, and so chlorine will have a lower melting and boiling point than phosphorus.

Whereas, Phosphorous has 4 atoms of phosphorous making it bigger in size than the molecule chlorine.

It has more number of electrons, hence stronger will be the  Van Der Waal's forces of attraction, so a higher melting point.

As higher energy will be needed to overcome these intermolecular forces.

Vander Waal forces of attraction  is the attraction of intermolecular forces between molecules.

There are two kinds of Van der Waals forces:

Weak London dispersion forces and

Stronger dipole-dipole forces.

To know more about Vander Waal forces:

brainly.com/question/2396709

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