Question

Choose the INCORRECT statement

• A. Carbon exhibits negative oxidation states along with +4 and +2.
• B. CO$_2$ is the most acidic oxide among the dioxides of group 14 elements.
• C. Among the isotopes of carbon, $^{13}$C is a radioactive isotope.
• D. Carbon cannot exceed its covalency more than four.

Hint:

Always remember: $^{12}$C and $^{13}$C are stable isotopes, while $^{14}$C is radioactive.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

To determine which statement is incorrect, let's evaluate each option one by one:

1. Carbon exhibits negative oxidation states along with +4 and +2:
   • Carbon can display oxidation states of +4 (such as in CO₂), +2 (such as in CO), and even negative states (like -4 in CH₄). This statement is correct.
2. CO₂ is the most acidic oxide among the dioxides of group 14 elements:
   • Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is indeed the most acidic oxide compared to the dioxides of other group 14 elements like SiO₂, GeO₂, etc. This statement is correct.
3. Among the isotopes of carbon, \(^{13}\text{C}\) is a radioactive isotope:
   • The commonly known isotopes of carbon are \(^{12}\text{C}\), \(^{13}\text{C}\), and \(^{14}\text{C}\). Of these, only \(^{14}\text{C}\) is radioactive. \(^{13}\text{C}\) is a stable, non-radioactive isotope. Therefore, this statement is incorrect.
4. Carbon cannot exceed its covalency more than four:
   • Carbon has a maximum of four valence electrons, allowing it to form a maximum of four covalent bonds. Hence, it cannot exceed a covalency of four. This statement is correct.

Based on the evaluations above, the incorrect statement is: "Among the isotopes of carbon, \(^{13}\text{C}\) is a radioactive isotope." Hence, the correct answer is the option stating that \(^{13}\text{C}\) is a radioactive isotope since \(^{13}\text{C}\) is actually stable.