Which of the following oxidation states is the most common among the lanthanoids ?

Options

A. 4
B. 2
C. 5
D. 3

Answer

D

Explanation

The lanthanoids are characterizad by the uniform `(+3)` oxidfation state shown by all the metals. They typically form compounds which are ionic and trivalent. The electronic structures of the ions are `Ce^(3+) f^(1), Pr^(3+) f^(2), Nd^(3+) f^(3), … Lu^(3+) f^(14)` .