JEE Main 2026 — 23 January, Evening Shift — Question 51

Electronegativity decreases down Group 15, thus we have $\mathrm{N > P > As > Sb > Bi}$.

Approximate Pauling values, we have

$\mathrm{N} \approx 3.0$ $\mathrm{P} \approx 2.1$ $\mathrm{As} \approx 2.0$ $\mathrm{Sb} \approx 1.9$ $\mathrm{Bi} \approx 1.9$

Difference between $\mathrm{N}$ and $\mathrm{P}$ is about $0.9$.

Difference between $\mathrm{P}$ and $\mathrm{As}$ is very small (about $0.1$).

Thus the difference between $\mathrm{X}$ and $\mathrm{P}$ is greater than that between $\mathrm{P}$ and $\mathrm{Y}$ only when $\mathrm{X = N}$ and $\mathrm{Y = As}$.