Actinide Vs Lanthanide
Actinides differ from lanthanides mainly by:
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About This Question
- Subject
- chemistry
- Chapter
- d- and f-block elements
- Topic
- actinide vs lanthanide
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Greater tendency for multiple oxidation states
- Orbital Energy: In Lanthanides (4f), there is a significant energy gap between 4f,5d, and 6s. Thus, +3 is the dominant oxidation state.
- Comparable Levels: In Actinides (5f), the energy difference between 5f,6d, and 7s orbitals is very small.
- Result: More electrons are available for bonding, allowing Actinides to show a wide range of oxidation states (e.g., Neptunium and Plutonium show states up to +7).
- Other Differences: Actinides have a higher tendency for complex formation and are all radioactive, unlike lanthanides (except Promethium).
This medium difficulty chemistry question is from the chapter d- and f-block elements, covering the topic of actinide vs lanthanide. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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