Question Detail
Question
What happens to the basicity of dioxides as you move down Group 14 from Carbon to Lead?
Correct Answer
Option B is the correct answer.
Detailed Explanation
Page 19 shows a trend of 'Decreasing stability' and 'Decreasing Basicity' when moving from CO₂ down to PbO₂. However, this contradicts the typical trend where metallic character increases down a group, leading to increased basicity of oxides. Given that CO₂ is acidic and PbO₂ (and GeO₂, SnO₂) are amphoteric (react with both acids and bases), the oxides generally become less acidic and therefore more basic down the group. The 'Decreasing Basicity' label on the slide likely refers to the acidic character or is a typo. The correct chemical trend is increasing basicity.
Hint
As metallic character increases down a group, what happens to the basicity of the corresponding oxides?