Question

Explain why:

On being slowly passed through water, PH₃ forms bubbles but NH₃ dissolves.

Answer 1

On being slowly passed through water, PH₃ forms bubbles, but NH₃ dissolves because PH₃ is insoluble in water (HOH-bonds), but NH₃ is highly soluble in water due to H-bonds.

Answer 2

1. NH₃ is highly soluble in water because it forms hydrogen bonds with water molecules.
2. PH₃ does not form hydrogen bonds, so it is insoluble and forms bubbles when passed through water.
3. Due to weak van der Waals forces in PH₃, it does not dissolve but escapes as bubbles.
4. The presence of hydrogen bonding in NH₃ leads to its dissolution in water, unlike PH₃.