Question

Lead nitrate on decomposition gives:
A) Lead oxide
B) Nitrogen dioxide
C) Oxygen
D) Nitrogen

Answer 1

Hint: To solve this we must first write down a balanced chemical equation for the decomposition of lead nitrate. Decomposition means heating of a substance so that it breaks down to simple compounds.

Complete answer :
- Lead nitrate is an inorganic compound. Lead nitrate is a white coloured powder. Lead nitrate is soluble in water and dilute nitric acid.
- We know that a reaction in which one complex reactant breaks down to two or more simple products is known as a decomposition reaction.
- Decomposition of a complex substance occurs when the substance is strongly heated.
The molecular formula for lead nitrate is ${\text{Pb}}{\left( {{\text{N}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}}} \right)_{\text{2}}}$. When lead nitrate is heated it decomposes to form lead oxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxygen.
The reaction is as follows:
${\text{2Pb}}{\left( {{\text{N}}{{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}}} \right)_{\text{2}}} \to 2{\text{PbO}} + 4{\text{N}}{{\text{O}}_2} + {{\text{O}}_2}$

From the reaction, we can see that lead nitrate decomposes on heating and forms lead oxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxygen.Thus, lead nitrate on decomposition gives lead oxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxygen.

Additional Information: Lead nitrate is toxic in nature. Ingestion of lead nitrate leads to lead poisoning. Ingestion of lead can cause renal cancer in animals, brain cancer and lung cancer in humans.

Thus, the correct answer options are (A), (B) and (C).

Note:Decomposition of lead oxide produces a yellow coloured oxide of lead which is known as lead oxide, a brown coloured nitrogen dioxide gas and a colourless oxygen gas. Thus, lead nitrate is used for the production of nitrogen dioxide gas. Lead nitrate is used as a heat stabiliser in polyesters and nitrogen. It is also used as a rodenticide.