Question

How many P-O-P bonds are present in cyclic meta-phosphoric acid? Also, give it structure.

Answer 1

Molecular formula of cyclic meta-phosphoric acid is $({H_3}{O_9}{P_3})$. To find the number of P-O-P bonds in cyclic meta-phosphoric acid, we need to refer to its structure and then count the number of P-O-P bonds.

Complete step by step solution:
First, let us draw the structure of cyclic meta-phosphoric acid$({H_3}{O_9}{P_3})$.

Now as we can see in the above structure, there are 3 types of bonds:$P = O$ ,$P - O - P$ and $O - H$ bonds. We have been given to find the number of P-O-P bonds, so count the number of P-O-P bonds in the above drawn structure.
It is clear from the structure that there are three P-O-P bonds in the structure of cyclic meta-phosphoric acid. Hence, this is the required answer.

Additional information: Cyclic meta-phosphoric acid is $({H_3}{O_9}{P_3})$is also known as cyclo triphosphate acid, trimetaphosphoric acid, and trimetaphosphate. It belongs to the class of inorganic compounds called non-metal phosphates. Cyclic meta-phosphoric acid is the cyclic anhydride of triphosphoric acid which is $({H_5}{P_3}{O_{10}})$ while ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) are the esters of triphosphoric acid.

Note: You can also be asked about the total number of sigma and pi-bonds in the cyclic meta-phosphoric acid. So, there are a total of fifteen bonds in the structure of cyclic meta-phosphoric acid and out of these fifteen bonds, there are twelve sigma bonds ($\sigma$) and three pi-bonds ($\pi$).