P BLOCK OVERVIEW 

 
GROUP 15 
● Mnemonic 
○ Nepali Punjabi Assamese, Sab Bhai Bhai  
● Configuration 
○ ns​2 np​
​ 3
 
○ Extra stability due to half filled 
● Atomic Radii 
○ Increases down the group 
○ Shielding effect 
● Ionization Enthalpy 
○ Very high due to extra stability due to half filled orbital 
○ Decreases down the group 
● Electronegativity 
○ Decreases down the group 
○ N most electronegative 
● Catenation 
○ Catenation tendency of P > N  
○ Due to small size of N and interelectronic repulsion 
● Reaction with Hydrogen 
○ Name 
■ Ammonia / Phosphine / Arsine / Stibine / Bismuthine 
○ Shape  
■ Trigonal pyramidal 
■ Lone pair 
○ Thermal Stability 
■ Decreases down the group due to increase in size and weaker 
bonds 
○ Reducing Characteristic 
■ Increases down the group due to ease in liberating H 
■ BiH​3​ is a strong reducing agent while NH​3​ is mild 
○ Boiling Point 
■ Increases down the group due to vdw forces 
■ NH​3​ >> others due to H-bonding 
 ○ Basic Character 
■ Due to presence of lone pair 
■ Decreases down the group due to decreasing electron density 
● Reaction with Halogens 
○ Shape 
■ MX​3​: Trigonal pyramidal 
■ MX​5​: Trigonal bipyramidal 
● PCl​5​ not equivalent due to longer axial bonds due to more 
repulsion 
○ Ionic and Covalent Character 
■ PCl​5​ is more covalent than PCl​3​ due to higher oxidation state of 
central atom according to Fajan’s rule 
■ Bromides are more covalent than chlorides due to larger size of 
Bromine anion and greater polarisability according to Fajan’s rule 
■ BiF​3​ is very ionic and has least covalent character due to small 
anion and large cation according to Fajan’s rule 
● Maximum Covalency of N 
○ N cannot extend its covalency to 5 due to absence of vacant d-orbitals in 
N to which s electrons can move after being unpaired 
■ PCl​5​ exists but NCl​5 ​does not  
■ R​3​P=O exists but R​3​N=O does not 
● Bond Angle 
○ H-N-H bond angle > H-P-H bond angle due to higher electronegativity of N 
and bp electrons are attracted towards N and lp-bp repulsion is higher 
● Reaction with Oxygen 
○ M​2​O​3 or
​ M​2​O​5 
○ Acidic Nature 
■ Increases with higher oxidation state  
■ Decreases with size 
○ As​2​O​3​ and Sb​2​O​3​ are amphoteric 
● Reaction with Metals 
○ +3 oxidation state 
○ Ca​3​N​2​, Ca​3​P​2​, Na​3​As​2 
● Dinitrogen 
○ Preparation 
 ■ Mnemonic: Kal Distill Chrom-azide 
■ Fractional distillation of air 
■ N H 4 Cl + N aN O2 → N 2 + N aCl + H 2 O  
■ (N H 4 )2 Cr2 O7 → N 2 + Cr2 O3 + H 2 O  
■ B a(N 3 )2 → Ba + N 2  
○ Inert at room temperature due to triple bond 
○ Reactions 
■ Ionic Compounds 
● Li + N 2 → Li3 N  
● M g + N 2 → M g3 N 2  
■ Covalent Compounds 
● N 2 + 3H 2 → 2N H 3  
● N 2 + O2 → 2N O  
● Ammonia 
○ Preparation 
■ Haber’s Process 
● N 2 + 3H 2 → 2N H 3  
● Pressure: 200 atm 
● Temperature: 700 K 
● Catalyst: Iron Oxide with K​2​O / Al​2​O​3