Nitric acid is an oxidising agent and reacts with PbO but it does not react with PbO2. Explain why?
PbO is a base. It reacts with nitric acid and forms soluble lead nitrate.
(acid base reaction)
Nitric acid does not react with PbO2. Both of them are strong oxidising agents. In HNO3, nitrogen is in its maximum oxidation state (+5) and in PbO2, lead is in its maximum oxidation state (+4). Therefore, no reaction takes place.
