Thread: Oxidation states of group 4 elements

Lead prefers an oxidation state of +2

Tin and other elements of lower atomic number prefer +4

can anyone give me a good explanation of why this is? It would be much appreciated

Cheers

The theory is that it's to do with filled and unfilled 'outermost' shells (s, p, d and f?), but as for how this works, buggered if I know. Remember reading a frightfully cogent and comprehensive account of this in a '60s textbook/pop-science book by the late great Isaac Asimov.

Yeh i asked my chemistry teacher
and he didnt explain just said it was to do with size of the atoms
relative to eachother.

dont need to know it for A levels so should be ok just a bit of unexplained knowledge.