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JEE Main levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 2 of 3pt204

Oxygen does not show the oxidation states $+ 4$ and $+ 6$ found for the other members of group 16 because

Ait is much less electronegative than sulfur
Bit is a gas
Cits valence shell has no $d$ orbitals and it is highly electronegative, so it cannot expand its octet
Dits ionisation enthalpy is very low

Answer: C

Sulfur, selenium and tellurium can use vacant

d

orbitals (or the equivalent) to expand the octet and reach

+ 4

and

+ 6

. Oxygen lacks them in the second shell and is second only to fluorine in electronegativity, so apart from

+ 2

in

OF X_{2}

it exhibits negative states.

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