Chemistry
General Knowledge

Lead



Lead

Symbol : Pb,
Atomic Number — 82,
Mass Number — 207

Physical and Chemical Properties of Lead :
Lead is a soft, bluish grey metal with a bright lustre, and it is used as a paper marker. It doesn’t react with dry air but reacts with moist air and forms the layer of hydroxide first and then of carbonate.
It also reacts with Cone. H2SO4 in which SO2 gas is emerged out. When it reacts with dil. HNO3, then nitric oxide is formed, while with conc. HNO3, NO3 gas is formed in the form of a brownish smoke.

Uses of Lead :
Lead is a very useful metal, and it is used in making alloys, lead accumulators, lead shots (bullet) and coverings of electric cables, lead chambers, lead pipes, lead-arsenic bullets, in nuclear research, etc.

Compounds of Lead

Lead Dioxide (PbO2) :
It is used in Match Industry for making ignition surface of match boxes, used for preparation of KMnO4.

Lead Acetate [Pb(CH3COO)2] :
This is also called SUGAR OF LEAD, and it is a white crystalline sugar like substance soluble in water, and its crystals are sweet in taste.

Lead Tetra Ethyl [Pb(C2H5)4] :
It is a colourless mobile liquid having a special smell soluble in petrol.