Phosphorus pentoxide () is a powerful dehydrating agent. What is the exact number of P-O-P bridging — p Block Elements Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

The structure of $P_4O_{10}$ is based on a tetrahedron of four phosphorus atoms. Each edge of this tetrahedron is bridged by an oxygen atom. Since a tetrahedron has 6 edges, there are exactly 6 P-O-P bridging linkages.