Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): In a PCl ₅ molecule, the two axial P-Cl bonds are longer than the three equatorial P-Cl bonds. Reason (R): The axial bond pairs suffer lesser repulsive interaction from the equatorial bond pairs than the equatorial bond pairs suffer from each other. In the light of the above statements, choose the

Step-by-step solution

Assertion (A) is correct. In the trigonal bipyramidal geometry of PCl ₅ , the five P-Cl bonds are not equivalent. The two axial bonds are longer and weaker than the three equatorial bonds. Reason (R) is not correct. According to VSEPR theory, the axial bond pairs experience greater repulsive interaction because each axial bond pair is repelled by three equatorial bond pairs at an angle of 90^ . In contrast, each equatorial bond pair is repelled by only two axial bond pairs at 90^ (the other equatorial bonds are at