Why does phosphine () exhibit an bond angle of approximately , severely deviated from the expected t — Chemical Bonding Chemistry Question
Question
Why does phosphine ($PH_3$) exhibit an $H-P-H$ bond angle of approximately $93^\circ$, severely deviated from the expected tetrahedral angle of $109.5^\circ$?
Answer: C
💡 Solution & Explanation
Drago's Rule dictates that elements of the 3rd period and beyond (P, S) do not undergo hybridization when bonding to H. They use pure, orthogonal p-orbitals ($p_x, p_y, p_z$), resulting in bond angles near $90^\circ$.
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