JEE Main · 2021 · Shift-IImediumBOND-156

Statement I: Sodium hydride can be used as an oxidising agent. Statement II: The lone pair of electrons on nitrogen in…

Chemical Bonding · Class 11 · JEE Main Previous Year Question

Question

Statement I: Sodium hydride can be used as an oxidising agent.

Statement II: The lone pair of electrons on nitrogen in pyridine makes it basic.

Choose the CORRECT answer:

Options
  1. a

    Both Statement I and Statement II are false

  2. b

    Statement I is true but Statement II is false

  3. c

    Statement I is false but Statement II is true

  4. d

    Both Statement I and Statement II are true

Correct Answerc

Statement I is false but Statement II is true

Detailed Solution

🧠 Evaluate both statements independently on their chemical accuracy.

🗺️ Statement I — "Sodium hydride can be used as an oxidising agent":

NaH is an ionic compound: Na+H\mathrm{Na^+H^-}.

The hydride ion (H\mathrm{H^-}) is a strong reducing agent — it donates electrons (acts as a Lewis base and reductant). NaH cannot act as an oxidising agent (it doesn't accept electrons from other species in any normal reaction).

Statement I is FALSE

Statement II — "The lone pair on nitrogen in pyridine makes it basic":

In pyridine, N is sp² hybridized. The lone pair occupies an sp² orbital in the plane of the ring (not involved in π-system) → this lone pair is available to donate to a proton or Lewis acid.

This makes pyridine a Lewis/Brønsted base → Statement II is TRUE

Answer: Statement I is false but Statement II is true\boxed{\text{Answer: Statement I is false but Statement II is true}}

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