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  4. Assertion: Bond lengths of P—Cl bonds in gaseous PCI5 and solid PCI5 are not equal. Reason: Because in solid state two PCI5 molecules are associated.

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Q. Assertion: Bond lengths of P—Cl bonds in gaseous $PCI_5$ and solid $PCI_5$ are not equal.
Reason: Because in solid state two $PCI_5$ molecules are associated.

AIIMSAIIMS 2013The p-Block Elements - Part2

Solution:

As in solid state, $PCl _{5}$ exists as an ionic solid $\left[ PCl _{4}\right]^{+}\left[ PCl _{6}\right]^{-}$ in which the cation, $\left[ PCl _{4}\right]^{+}$ is tetrahedral and the anion, $\left[ PCl _{6}\right]^{-}$ is octahedral.

$PCl _{5}$ in gaseous state has trigonal bipyramidal structure in which three equatorial bonds are equivalent, while the two axial bonds are longer than equatorial bonds due to more bond pair repulsion.