Consider the oxides of group 14 elements SiO2, GeO2, SnO2, PbO2,… — Solution | JEE Chemistry

MCQEasyJEE 2024Group 14 Elements

Consider the oxides of group 14 elements $SiO_2$ , $GeO_2$ , $SnO_2$ , $PbO_2$ , $CO$ , and $GeO$ .

The amphoteric oxides are:

Answer

Correct answer:C

Standard Method

Given: The oxides are $SiO_2$ , $GeO_2$ , $SnO_2$ , $PbO_2$ , $CO$ , and $GeO$ .

Find: Which of these are amphoteric oxides.

Amphoteric oxides react with both acids and bases.

From the given analysis:

Among the given options, the pair listed as amphoteric is $SnO_2$ and $PbO_2$ .

Therefore, the correct option is C.

Mistake: Treating $CO$ as an amphoteric oxide. Why it is wrong: $CO$ is classified as a neutral oxide. What to do instead: Distinguish clearly between acidic, basic, neutral, and amphoteric oxides before matching the option.
Mistake: Marking $SiO_2$ as amphoteric. Why it is wrong: $SiO_2$ is predominantly an acidic oxide. What to do instead: Recall the trend that lighter group 14 dioxides are more acidic, while heavier ones show amphoteric character.
Mistake: Choosing $GeO_2$ because it is amphoteric and then selecting the pair containing it. Why it is wrong: The question asks for the correct pair from the given options, not all amphoteric oxides individually. What to do instead: Check which complete option contains only the correct amphoteric oxides.

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