Two Important Allotropes of Phosphorus Are White Phosphorus and Red $\circ$

Essay

Two important allotropes of phosphorus are white phosphorus and red phosphorus.White phosphorus,P₄,has a melting point of 44.1 ^$\circ$ C and spontaneously reacts with oxygen.Red phosphorus,a network solid,melts at 280 ^$\circ$ C and is stable in air.Use your knowledge of intermolecular and intramolecular bonding to explain why these two forms of the same element have such different properties.