Why are pentahalides of $P$,$As$,$Sb$,and $Bi$ more covalent than their trihalides?

Vedclass pdf generator app on play store
Vedclass iOS app on app store
(N/A) In pentahalides,the central atom is in the $+5$ oxidation state,whereas in trihalides,it is in the $+3$ oxidation state.
According to Fajan's rule,a higher positive charge on the cation increases its polarizing power.
Since the central atom in pentahalides has a higher positive charge $(+5)$ compared to trihalides $(+3)$,it exerts a stronger polarizing effect on the electron cloud of the halide ions.
This leads to greater sharing of electrons,making pentahalides more covalent than their corresponding trihalides.

Explore More

Similar Questions

Explain the chemical behaviour of oxoacids of phosphorus.

Which of the following statements is true regarding nitrogen?

Which of the following is a colorless solid?

The element that can form multiple bonds with itself from the following is

State the oxoacids of phosphorus with their formula,methods of preparation,and the presence of characteristic bonds in their structure.

Difficult
View Solution

Vedclass Products

For Students

Vedclass Test Series

Mock tests in real JEE/NEET style with performance analysis. 5-day free trial.

Start Free Trial
For Teachers

Exam Paper Generator

Generate Set A/B/C/D exam papers from 7.5L+ questions in 2 minutes. 3 chapters free.

Try Free
For Institutes

Online Exam Module

Live online exams with unlimited students, 360° analytics & white-label branding.

See Demo