Given below are two statements:

Statement I: All the pairs of molecules (PbO, PbO₂); (SnO, SnO₂) and (GeO, GeO₂) contain amphoteric oxides.

Statement II: AlCl₃, BH₃, BeH₂ and NO₂ all have incomplete octet. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct option.

(1) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct

(2) Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect

(3) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect

(4) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct

The correct option is (4) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.

Statement I

All the pairs of molecules (PbO, PbO₂); (SnO, SnO₂) and (GeO, GeO₂) contain amphoteric oxides.

This is incorrect.

Reason:

• PbO and PbO₂ are amphoteric.
• SnO and SnO₂ are amphoteric.
• But for germanium:
  • GeO₂ is amphoteric
  • GeO is generally considered more basic and not clearly amphoteric like the others

So not all the given pairs contain amphoteric oxides.

Statement II

AlCl₃, BH₃, BeH₂ and NO₂ all have incomplete octet.

This is correct.

• AlCl₃: Al has only 6 electrons around it
• BH₃: B has only 6 electrons
• BeH₂: Be has only 4 electrons
• NO₂: odd-electron molecule, so octet is incomplete

Final answer

(4) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct