The P-Block Elements

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Common Misconceptions

3 min read

- What you are getting from a statement might not be necessarily true. Let us burst some of the common misconceptions

Oxygen is necessary for burning, so it is highly flammable
If we have materials for burning, then adding oxygen feeds the flame. It is, therefore, dangerous to keep oxygen near any kind of fire.
Does this mean oxygen itself is flammable or burns?
To find out, you can take a jar containing oxygen gas. Now if you ignite it, you will not find anything happening - the match stick will burn out after sometime but will not see a fire.

$F_{2} O$ is called difluorine oxide

C l_{2} O

is dichlorine oxide and

I_{2} O

is diiodine oxide.
What would you call

F_{2} O

? Difluorine oxide?
Before you answer, remember that while naming a compound, the electropositive element is written first followed by the electronegative element.
In

C l_{2} O

, Cl is more electropositive and is written first followed by electronegative element (O). That's why it is called dichlorine oxide.
But when it comes to

F_{2} O

, F is more electronegative than O. So, the compound is called oxygen difluoride and NOT difluorine oxide.

$O = P (O H)_{3}$ is a base and $P H_{3}$ is an acid
According to the conventional theory of acids and bases,

O = P (O H)_{3}

with 3 OH units is more likely a base while

P H_{3}

with H units an acid.
Instead, the reverse is true.
This happens because the O-H bonds in

H_{3} P O_{3}

are ionizable while the P-H bonds in

P H_{3}

are non-ionisable.

This makes

H_{3} P O_{3}

a tribasic acid.

Coming to

P H_{3}

, it has a lone pair of electrons available for donation. Therefore,

P H_{3}

acts as a Lewis base.