Number of P-O Bonds in P4O10

Explanation:
P4O10 is a molecular compound which is formed by the reaction of white phosphorus (P4) with excess oxygen. The chemical formula of P4O10 indicates that it contains 4 phosphorus atoms and 10 oxygen atoms.

In P4O10, each phosphorus atom is bonded to 3 oxygen atoms, and each oxygen atom is bonded to 2 phosphorus atoms. This means that there are multiple P-O bonds in the molecule.

Calculating the Number of P-O Bonds:
To calculate the number of P-O bonds in P4O10, we need to consider the number of bonds that each atom forms with the other atoms in the molecule.

Each phosphorus atom is bonded to 3 oxygen atoms, so it forms a total of 3 P-O bonds. There are 4 phosphorus atoms in P4O10, so the total number of P-O bonds formed by phosphorus atoms is:

3 P-O bonds/atom x 4 atoms = 12 P-O bonds

Each oxygen atom is bonded to 2 phosphorus atoms, so it forms a total of 2 P-O bonds. There are 10 oxygen atoms in P4O10, so the total number of P-O bonds formed by oxygen atoms is:

2 P-O bonds/atom x 10 atoms = 20 P-O bonds

Therefore, the total number of P-O bonds in P4O10 is the sum of the P-O bonds formed by phosphorus and oxygen atoms:

12 P-O bonds + 20 P-O bonds = 32 P-O bonds

However, we need to divide this value by 2 to get the actual number of P-O bonds, since each bond is shared by 2 atoms:

32 P-O bonds / 2 = 16 P-O bonds

Conclusion:
The correct answer is '16'. P4O10 contains 16 P-O bonds.