Properties | More Info | Isotopes | Spectra
Compounds | Reactions | Production
Atomic: M.A.C. | Reference
Diagrams: Shell | Atomic Radius | Electron || Images
Reactions of Lead
Reactions with water
The surface of lead is covered by a thin layer of oxide that means it will not react under normal conditions.
Reactions with air
Only upon heating lead to 600-800°C does lead react with oxygen in air to from lead oxide.
  2Pb(s) + O2(g)2PbO(s)
Reactions with halogens
Lead metal reacts vigorously with fluorine at room temperature and chlorine on warming to form poisonous dihalides.
  Pb(s) + F2(g)PbF2(s)
  Pb(s) + Cl2(g)PbCl2(s)
Reactions with acids
The surface of lead is protected by a thin layer of lead oxide which renders the lead essentially insoluble in sulphuric acid, and so, in the past, a useful container of this acid. Lead reacts slowly with hydrochloric acid and nitric acid. In the latter case, nitrogen oxides are formed together with lead(II) nitrate.
Reactions with bases
Lead dissolves slowly in cold alkalis to form plumbites.
 
Reduction Potentials
Balanced half-reaction E0 / V
Pb4+ + 2e- Pb2+ +1.694
Pb2+ + 2e-Pb(s) -0.126
Pb2+ + 2e-Pb(s) -0.14
Pb2+ + 2e-Pb(s)) -0.29
3PbO2(s) + 2H2O + 4e- Pb3O4(s) + 4OH- +0.295
PbO2(s) + 4H+ + 2e-Pb2+ + 2H2O +1.455
PbO2(s) + 4H+ + SO42- + 2e-PbSO4(s) + 2H2O +1.685
PbO2(s) + H+ + 2e-HPbO2- +0.621
3PbO32- + 10H+ + 4e-Pb3O4(s) + 5H2O +2.515
PbO32- + 4H+ + 2e-PbO(s) + 2H2O +2.001
PbO32- + 3H+ + e-HPbO2- + H2O +1.547
PbO32- + 6H+ + 2e-Pb2+ + 3H2O +2.375
Pb3O4(s) + H2O + 2e-3PbO(s) + 2OH- +0.249
Pb3O4(s) + 8H+ + 2e-3Pb2+ + 3H2O +2.094
Pb3O4(s) + 2H2O + 2e-3HPbO2- + H+ -0.390
PbO(s) + 2H+ + 2e-Pb(s) + H2O +0.249
PbSO4 + 2e-Pb(s) + SO42- -0.350
HPbO2- + 3H+ + 2e-Pb(s) + 2H2O +0.702
Pb(s) + 2H+ + 2e-PbH2 -1.507