Nitrogen forms N2 due to strong pπ-pπ overlap, making triple bonds stable. Phosphorus has larger size and poor sideways overlap, so it forms tetrahedral P4 with single bonds to avoid strain. I know this from coaching class notes I study under the streetlamp, the pages fluttering like my daughter’s laughter. But the real stability isn't in bonds, it's in what holds—like my old tanpura's string, which stays tuned through humidity when cheaper ones snap.
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