Question

(a) Write an equation of reaction of chlorine with hot and concentrated $NaOH$ solution.
(b) Why are all the five bonds of $PC{l}_5$ not equivalent? Explain.

Answer 1

(a) The reaction of $chlorine$ with hot and concentrated $NaOH$ solution gives $sodium$ $chloride$ and $sodium$ $chlorate$.
$3C{l}_2+6NaOH\text{(cold and dilute)}\to 5NaCl+NaCl{O}_3+3H_{2}O$
(b) All the five bonds of $PC{l}_5$ not equivalent. $PC{l}_5$ molecule has trigonal bipyramidal structure. Three equatorial $P-Cl$ chlorine bonds are equivalent. Two axial $P-Cl$ bonds are longer than equatorial bonds. Axial bond pairs of electrons suffer more repulsion than equatorial bond pairs of electrons.