The large difference between the melting and boiling points of oxygen and sulphur may be explained on the basis of: (a)…
p-Block Elements (Class 12) · Class 12 · JEE Main Previous Year Question
The large difference between the melting and boiling points of oxygen and sulphur may be explained on the basis of:
(a) Atomic size \quad (b) Atomicity \quad (c) Electronegativity \quad (d) Electron gain enthalpy
- a
Atomic size
- b✓
Atomicity
- c
Electronegativity
- d
Electron gain enthalpy
Atomicity
Key concept — Atomicity:
- Oxygen: (atomicity = 2, diatomic molecule)
- Sulphur: (atomicity = 8, crown-shaped ring)
Effect on melting/boiling points:
The larger the molecule, the stronger the van der Waals (London dispersion) forces.
has a much larger molecular mass and surface area than :
This leads to significantly stronger intermolecular forces in sulphur → much higher melting point () and boiling point () compared to oxygen (mp = , bp = ).
The large difference is due to atomicity (S₈ vs O₂).
Answer: (b) Atomicity
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