Given below are two statements :
Statement (I) : SiO₂ and GeO₂ are acidic while SnO and PbO are amphoteric in nature.
Statement (II) : Allotropic forms of carbon are due to property of catenation and p π-d π bond formation.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :

Solution

Chemistry ma’am · 4 steps

Statement I is the NCERT line word for word; Statement II slips in d-orbitals that carbon does not have.

1. Oxides down the group. Group 14 oxides become less acidic as you go down the group. SiO₂ and GeO₂ are acidic. SnO and PbO are amphoteric because the larger, more metallic Sn and Pb let their oxides react with both acids and bases.
2. Statement I. This matches the trend exactly, so Statement I is true.
3. Statement II. Carbon is a period 2 element. Its valence shell is n = 2, which has only 2s and 2p orbitals, so carbon has no d orbitals for pπ–dπ bonding. Its allotropes come from catenation and pπ–pπ multiple bonding, as in graphite and fullerenes, so Statement II is false.
4. So. Statement I is true and Statement II is false, which is option (d).

The idea to keep. Carbon is small and has no d orbitals, so it makes strong pπ–pπ bonds and long chains. Any dπ bonding in Group 14 starts from silicon, never carbon.

Answer from the NTA final answer key. Solution by PrepWiser.