Question

Which of the following oxidation states are the most characteristic for lead and tin respectively:

• A. $+2,+2$
• B. $+4,+2$
• C. $+2,+4$
• D. $+4,+4$

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

$+2,+4$

Lead and tin are in the fourth group of the periodic table,so we can expect an oxidation state of $+4$ for both of them.But due to the reluctance of participation of electrons in the outermost $s$ orbital in bonding i.e., inert pair effect which increases down the group.So, the oxidation states of lead and tin are $+2$ and $+4$ respectively which is also evident from their respective chemical reactions.