The Total solution for NCERT class 6-12
Write main differences betweenthe properties of white phosphorus and red phosphorus.
White phosphorus
Red Phosphorus
It is a soft and waxy solid. It possesses a garlic smell.
It is a hard and crystalline solid, without any smell.
It is poisonous.
It is non-poisonous.
It is insoluble in water but soluble in carbon disulphide.
It is insoluble in both water and carbon disulphide.
It undergoes spontaneous combustion in air.
It is relatively less reactive.
In both solid and vapour states, it exists as a P4 molecule.
It exists as a chain of tetrahedral P4 units.