Chemistry Q60 – JEE-MAIN 2026

Home Chemistry d- & f-Block ElementsQuestion #368

The correct statements among the following are. A. Basic vanadium oxide is used in the manufacture of

H_{2} S O_{4}

. B. The spin-only magnetic moment value of the transition metal halide employed in Ziegler-Natta polymerization is 2.84 BM. C. The p-block metal compound employed in Ziegler-Natta polymerization has the metal in +3 oxidation state. D. The number of electrons present in the outer most 'd' orbital of metal halide employed in Wacker process is 8. Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Clue 1 of 3: Catalyst Identification

Identify the chemical compounds used as catalysts in three major industrial processes: the Contact process for sulfuric acid, Ziegler-Natta polymerization, and the Wacker process.

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Ninja Strategy•Principle-Based Elimination

Quickly eliminate options containing statements A and B by recalling the acidic nature of high-oxidation-state metal oxides and the diamagnetic nature of the $T i C l_{4}$ catalyst.

🧠 Full Solution Path

Step 1: Evaluate Statements A and B✦ Active

Statement A: The catalyst in the Contact process for manufacturing $H_{2} S O_{4}$ is Vanadium pentoxide, $V_{2} O_{5}$ . In its highest oxidation state (+5), vanadium oxide is acidic, not basic. Therefore, statement A is incorrect.

Statement B: The transition metal halide in a Ziegler-Natta catalyst is typically $T i C l_{4}$ . The oxidation state of Ti is +4. The electronic configuration of $T i^{4 +}$ is $[A r] 3 d^{0}$ , meaning it has zero unpaired electrons ( $n = 0$ ). The spin-only magnetic moment is $μ = \sqrt{0 (0 + 2)} = 0$ BM. A value of 2.84 BM corresponds to $n = 2$ unpaired electrons. Therefore, statement B is incorrect.

Step 2: Evaluate Statements C and D○ Expand

Statement C: The p-block metal compound in a Ziegler-Natta catalyst is typically an organoaluminium compound like triethylaluminium, $(C_{2} H_{5})_{3} A l$ . Aluminium (Al) is a p-block element, and its oxidation state in this compound is +3. Therefore, statement C is correct.

Statement D: The metal halide catalyst in the Wacker process is Palladium(II) chloride, $P d C l_{2}$ . The oxidation state of Pd is +2. The electronic configuration of a neutral Pd atom is $[K r] 4 d^{10}$ . The $P d^{2 +}$ ion has the configuration $[K r] 4 d^{8}$ . The number of electrons in the outermost 'd' orbital (4d) is 8. Therefore, statement D is correct.

Step 3: Determine the Correct Option○ Expand

Since statements C and D are correct, and A and B are incorrect, the correct option is the one that lists 'C and D Only'.

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Chemistry Question 60 – JEE-MAIN 2026

Clue 1 of 3: Catalyst Identification

🧠 Full Solution Path