What is inert pair effect?
Answers
Answer:
The inert pair effect is the tendency of the two electrons in the outermost atomic s-orbital to remain unionized or unshared in compounds of post-transition metals.
Answer:
(1) In case of heavier elements, the s electrons in the valence shell remain paired and do not participate in the chemical bonding. This effect is called inert pair effect.
(2) This effect arises due to :
(a) poor shielding of ns^2 electrons by inner d and f electrons.
(b) when the energy required to unpair the paired s electrons is more than the energy evolved in the bond formation in the compound, ns^2 electrons remain inert.
(3) Due to this effect many heavier elements show more stable lower oxidation states but the lighter elements of the same group show stable higher oxidation states. For example in group 13, the elements B, Al show 3+ state while Ga, In and TI show more stable 1 + oxidation state, Similarly in group-14, the elements C, Si show 4 + state while Sn, Pb show more stable 2 + state along with 4+.