Home › MCQs › EEJ MAIN Chemistry › Question #7157
Back to Questions
EEJ MAIN Chemistry QUESTION #7157
Question 1
The significant reducing ability of hypophosphorous acid ($H_{3}PO_{2}$) is primarily due to the presence of:
  • Two $P-OH$ bonds
  • One $P-H$ bond
  • Two $P-H$ bonds✔️
  • One $P-OH$ bond
Correct Answer Explanation
The reducing character of oxoacids of phosphorus depends on the number of $P-H$ bonds present. In $H_{3}PO_{2}$ (Hypophosphorous acid), the phosphorus atom is bonded to two hydrogen atoms directly ($2 \times P-H$ bonds) and one hydroxyl group ($1 \times P-OH$ bond). These $P-H$ bonds are responsible for its strong reducing property.