Which of the following statements is false with respect to group 14 elements. ?

Options

A. The stability of +4 oxidation state decreases as we move down the group
B. The +4 oxidation state is more common in carbon and silicon
C. `Pb^(4+)` is more stable than `Pb^(2+)` ions.
D. The stability of +2 oxidation state increases on moving down the group due to inert pair effect.

Answer

C

Explanation

Statement is wrong because, due to inert pair effect, the stability of lower oxidation state (+2) increases down the group while stability of higher oxidation state (+4) decreases donw the group.
So `Ge^(2+) lt Sn^(2+) lt Pb^(2+) ` and `Ge^(4+) gt Sn^(4+) gt Pb^(4+)`