JEE Advanced Chemistry question

The lanthanide contraction is responsible for the fact that

(A)Zn and Y have about the same radii
(B)Zr and Nb have similar oxidation state
(C)Zr and Hf have about the same radiiCorrect
(D)Zr and Zn have the same oxidation state

Answer: (C)

Solution

Because of the lanthanide contraction (the steady decrease in atomic/ionic radius across the 4f series due to poor f-electron shielding), the atomic radius of Hf (which follows the lanthanides, in period 6) ends up almost identical to that of Zr (the element directly above it in period 5, group

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Question ID VK-159674