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Zn and Cd metals do not show varible val...

Zn and Cd metals do not show varible valency because:

A

They have only two electrons in the outmost subshells

B

Their d-subshells are completely filled

C

Their d-subshells are partially filled

D

They are relatively soft metals

Text Solution

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The correct Answer is:
To understand why Zinc (Zn) and Cadmium (Cd) do not show variable valency, we can analyze their electronic configurations and the stability of their d-orbitals. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Identify the Atomic Numbers and Electronic Configurations**: - Zinc (Zn) has an atomic number of 30. Its electronic configuration is: \[ \text{Zn: } [\text{Ar}] 3d^{10} 4s^2 \] - Cadmium (Cd) has an atomic number of 48. Its electronic configuration is: \[ \text{Cd: } [\text{Kr}] 4d^{10} 5s^2 \] 2. **Analyze the d-Orbitals**: - In both Zn and Cd, the d-orbitals are completely filled: - For Zn: The 3d subshell has 10 electrons (3d^10). - For Cd: The 4d subshell also has 10 electrons (4d^10). - A completely filled d-orbital is highly stable and does not easily lose electrons. 3. **Determine the Valency**: - The valency of an element is determined by the number of electrons it can lose or gain during chemical reactions. - In the case of Zn and Cd, they can lose the two electrons from their outermost s-orbital (4s for Zn and 5s for Cd) to form compounds. - Therefore, both Zn and Cd typically exhibit a valency of +2. 4. **Conclude the Reason for Lack of Variable Valency**: - Since both metals have completely filled d-orbitals, they do not exhibit variable valency. Instead, they consistently show a +2 oxidation state. - Hence, the correct reason for the lack of variable valency in Zn and Cd is that their d-subshells are completely filled. ### Final Answer: Zinc and Cadmium do not show variable valency because their d-subshells are completely filled.
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