Structure of nitric acid in gaseous phase is represented as
Pick the INCORRECT statement and/or order for it

Question

Structure of nitric acid in gaseous phase is represented as Pick the INCORRECT statement and/or order for it

TestHub · Accepted Answer

Planarity and Basicity: Nitric acid (HNO₃) is a planar molecule in the gaseous phase. Since it contains only one replaceable hydrogen atom, its basicity is one, making statements A and D correct.

Bond Angles: Due to strong inter-electronic repulsion between the terminal oxygen atoms, the angle $α \approx 13 0^{\circ}$ is greater than $β \approx 11 5^{\circ}$ . Both are larger than the N–O–H angle $γ \approx 10 2^{\circ}$ . Thus, $α > β > γ$ is correct, making statement B correct.

Bond Lengths: The terminal N–O bonds ( $x$ ) have partial double-bond character due to resonance ( $\approx 121 p m$ ), making them shorter than the central N–OH single bond ( $y \approx 140 p m$ ). The O–H bond ( $z \approx 96 p m$ ) is the shortest.

Correct Order: Therefore, the actual order of bond lengths is $y > x > z$ , which makes statement C false.

Chemistry - CHEMICAL BONDING Question with Solution | TestHub

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