Lead commonly forms Pb2+ Pb4+ in introductory ionic compounds.
| Element | Lead |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Pb |
| Atomic number | 82 |
| Common ionic charge | +2, +4 |
| Common ions | Pb2+, Pb4+ |
Images are used as visual references; charge rules still depend on the compound.
Lead is [Xe]4f14 5d10 6s2 6p2. The inert 6s pair stays home, so normally only the two 6p electrons leave: Pb2+. Forcing out all four gives Pb4+, a strong oxidizer that grabs electrons back eagerly — exactly the property a battery cathode wants.
Assuming tin's near-even +2/+4 split applies to lead, one row down the same group. The inert pair strengthens with depth: tin genuinely toggles; lead defaults to +2, with +4 confined to compounds like PbO2 that exploit its oxidizing hunger.
Discharge runs Pb (0) and PbO2 (+4) toward each other, both becoming PbSO4 (+2): the anode climbs 0→+2, the cathode falls +4→+2, and the meeting at +2 releases the 12 volts. Charging pushes both back apart.
Lead chloride
Pb2+ balances chloride ions.
Lead oxide
Lead can form oxides where total positive and negative charge balances.
It impersonates Ca2+ well enough to enter neurons and bones, then binds enzyme sulfur sites Ca2+ never would. Decades of bone-stored Pb2+ can re-release during pregnancy or osteoporosis — the chemistry of why no exposure level is 'safe.'
A mixed-valence oxide: two Pb2+ and one Pb4+ per formula (2+2+4 = 8 = four O2-). The classic anti-rust primer painted on bridges — one compound, both of lead's charges.
They boiled grape must in lead pots, forming lead(II) acetate — 'sugar of lead,' genuinely sweet. A +2 salt with a taste, and one of history's longest-running toxicology lessons.
Combine positive and negative ions so the total charge is zero — or let the ionic compound calculator do the crossing for you. The full chart lives on the periodic table with charges.
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