less the stability,more the reactivity.white phosphorous is less stable and more reactive bcoz of angular strain in the P4 molecule whare the angles are only 60 degree
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White phosphorus has a tetrahedral basic unit where four phosphorus atoms arranged at the four corners of a tetrahedron are joined together by a total of six single bonds. This creates a very highly strained system which is unstable and very reactive.
Red phosphorus has an amormous structure (only short range order, no long range one) and is therefore a lot more stable and less reactive
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Red phosphorus has an amormous structure (only short range order, no long range one) and is therefore a lot more stable and less reactive eg it ignites in air at 240 deg Celsius whereas white Phosphorus at 30 deg Celsius.
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Chemically, red phosphorous is much less reactive than white phosphorus.
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White phosphorus consists of discrete
On the other hand, in red phosphorus, there is linking between phosphorus atoms across the material.
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