A chemist investigates expanded octets in phosphorus compounds. Which molecule requires sp3d hybridization to explain its five equivalent equatorial and axial bonds?
Q1. A chemist investigates expanded octets in phosphorus compounds. Which molecule requires sp3d hybridization to explain its five equivalent equatorial and axial bonds?
Answer: PCl5
Explanation: PCl5 involves sp3d hybridization to accommodate five chlorine atoms; PCl3 is tempting but only uses sp3 hybridization for three bonds.