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The stability of dihalides of Si, Ge, Sn and Pb increases steadily in the sequence

1. PbX2 << SnX2 << GeX2 << SiX2
2. GeX2 << SiX2 << SnX2 << PbX2
3. SiX2 << GeX2 << PbX2 << SnX2
4. SiX2 << GeX2 << SnX2 << PbX2

Correct answer: SiX2 << GeX2 << SnX2 << PbX2

Solution

The stability of the dihalides increases with the size of the central atom, as larger atoms like Pb can better accommodate the larger halide ions, leading to more stable compounds. In contrast, smaller atoms like Si form less stable dihalides due to their higher charge density and stronger bond polarization.

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