Question

Two important allotropes of phosphorus are white phosphorus and red phosphorus. White phosphorus, P4, has a melting point of 44.1 C and spontaneously reacts with oxygen. Red phosphorus, a network solid, melts at 280 C and is stable in air. Use your knowledge of intermolecular and intramolecular bonding to explain why these two forms of the same element have such different properties.

Answer

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