What is the chemical name for the ionic compound, Pb(NO3)2? lead nitrate(IV) lead nitrate(II) lead(II) nitrate lead(IV) nitrate
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct name for the ionic compound Pb(NO3)2 is lead(II) nitrate.
Explanation:
- Lead (Pb) is a transition metal that can have multiple oxidation states, specifically +2 and +4 in most of its compounds. To determine the correct oxidation state in this compound, we need to look at the nitrate ion NO3-.
- The nitrate ion has a -1 charge. Since the formula Pb(NO3)2 indicates that there are two nitrate ions, the total negative charge from the nitrate ions is -2. To balance this, the lead ion must have a +2 charge, which corresponds to the oxidation state +2.
- The name of the compound must reflect the oxidation state of the lead ion. The oxidation state is indicated in parentheses using Roman numerals, so the correct name is lead(II) nitrate, where “II” refers to the +2 oxidation state of lead.
Why not the other options?
- Lead nitrate(IV): This would suggest that lead has an oxidation state of +4, but in Pb(NO3)2, lead has an oxidation state of +2.
- Lead(IV) nitrate: This is an incorrect name because lead in this compound does not have an oxidation state of +4.
- Lead nitrate(II): This is also incorrect because in naming conventions, the oxidation state of the metal is placed in parentheses after the metal’s name, not the anion.
Therefore, the correct name for Pb(NO3)2 is lead(II) nitrate.
