Question

Lead pipes are readily corroded by:
$\begin{align}
  & a)Water \\
 & b)Acetic\text{ }Acid \\
 & c)conc.\text{ }{{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}} \\
 & d)dilute\text{ }{{H}_{2}}S{{O}_{4}} \\
\end{align}$

Answer 1

Hint: Lead gets dissolved readily in organic acids in the presence of Oxygen due to the formation of lead salts. With this in mind, now try and solve this question.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Lead–tin alloys have been used as materials for organ pipes from the Medieval period through the present. In recent decades, corrosion of these pipes has been observed with increasing regularity, in some cases threatening centuries-old instruments that stand as records of musical and technological history.
Acetic acid released through the aging of wooden organ cases was recently identified as a primary cause of corrosion in pure lead pipes. Metal compositions ranging from pure lead to pure tin are found in organ construction, and damaging corrosion has been observed in pipes of compositions across the lead–tin phase diagram. This decomposition of pipes made of pure lead occurs due to the formation of lead acetate in the presence of Oxygen, the chemical reaction of which is as follows:
\[Pb+2C{{H}_{3}}COOH+\dfrac{1}{2}{{O}_{2}}\to Pb{{(C{{H}_{3}}COO)}_{2}}+{{H}_{2}}O\]
The production of this is incredibly toxic when it comes to the transport of water and must thus be avoided as much as possible.
Therefore, as a result of this analysis, the answer to this question can safely be concluded to be b) Acetic Acid.

Note: Acetic acid in the presence of oxygen rapidly attacks lead and produces very soluble lead (II) acetate which precludes the use of lead to process or store wine or fruit juice. Unfortunately, lead salts are toxic, and the metals build up over time to cause severe neurological and other damage.