Question

Assign appropriate reason for the following observation.

Sulphur in vapour state exhibits some paramagnetic behaviour.

Answer 1

1. Sulphur vapour consists of S₈ rings; on heating, these rings break into smaller molecules or atoms with unpaired electrons.
2. The presence of unpaired electrons causes paramagnetism in sulphur vapour.
3. Unlike the solid state, these unpaired electrons in the vapour state make sulphur paramagnetic.
4. This is due to the molecular dissociation and presence of free radicals, or atoms having unpaired electrons in vapour phase.

Thus, sulphur shows paramagnetic behaviour in the vapour state due to unpaired electrons present after dissociation of S₈ molecules.