Why is dioxygen a gas but sulphur a solid?
Oxygen has small atomic size and high electronegativity. It forms pπ−pπ double bonds, O=O. The inter-molecular forces are weak vander waals forces. Hence, oxygen is a gas. Whereas sulphur does not form stable pπ−pπ bonds and does not exist as S2 molecule. It forms S8 molecules with puckered ring structure. Thus, each molecule contains 8S atoms linked by S−S bonds. Thus, S atoms are strongly held and sulphur is a solid.
