White phosphorus has a waxy, translucent appearance and is highly reactive. It has a distorted tetrahedral structure, consisting of four phosphorus atoms forming a pyramid with one atom at the top and three at the base. Each phosphorus atom is covalently bonded to the other three, resulting in a P4 molecule.
Red phosphorus, on the other hand, has a reddish-brown color and is much less reactive compared to white phosphorus. It has an amorphous structure, meaning that it lacks a well-defined, regular arrangement of atoms. The molecular structure of red phosphorus is complex and can vary depending on the conditions under which it is formed. It generally consists of interconnected chains or layers of phosphorus atoms with varying degrees of disorder and variable P-P bond lengths.
In summary, white phosphorus has a distorted tetrahedral structure (P4 molecule), while red phosphorus has an amorphous structure with variable and complex molecular arrangements.
