Question

Give reason oxygen is gas but sulphur is a solid?

Answer 1

Hint: The modern periodic table has a total of 118 elements. The horizontal rows are called groups and vertical columns are called groups. The modern periodic table has eighteen groups and seven periods. Oxygen and sulphur are present under group-16.

Complete step by step answer:
Oxygen, Sulphur, Selenium, Tellurium, and Polonium are the elements present in group-16. Group-16 in the periodic table is also called a chalcogens group since most of the ores of copper are oxides and sulphides and also contains trace amounts of selenium and tellurium. The Greek name of copper is chalkos and thus, group-16 gets the name of chalcogens.
It is known that oxygen is smaller in size than sulphur. Due to its smaller size, oxygen can form \[p\pi - p\pi \] bond with other oxygen atoms to form \[{O_2}\] molecules. The bond between oxygen molecules is held by weak van der Waals force and it exists as a gas. On the other hand, sulphur is larger in size than oxygen and thus, it can't form \[p\pi - p\pi \] bond with other sulphur atoms. Sulphur exists as a cluster of molecules and thus, it exists as a solid. Because of its cluster size, it forms \[{S_8}\] instead of \[{S_2}\]. The bond formed between sulphur atoms is covalent.

Note: Group-16 comes under p-block elements in the periodic table. p-block elements have their valence electrons in the p-subshell. Generally, the non-metallic character increases from left to right across the periodic table. Oxygen is more electronegative than sulphur. Electronegativity is the tendency of attraction of a shared pair of electrons towards itself. Oxygen is the main source of human beings. It is also used in the production of steel, plastics, and textiles. Sulphur is mainly used in the vulcanization of rubber. It is mainly used in the production of the king of chemicals, Sulphuric acid.