Which of the following explains the primary cause of lanthanoid contraction?
| 1. | Greater shielding of 5d electrons by 4f electrons. |
| 2. | Poor shielding of 5d electrons by 4f electrons. |
| 3. | Effective shielding of one of the 4f electrons by another in the sub-shell. |
| 4. | Poor shielding of one 4f electron by another within the sub-shell. |
Which of the following lanthanoids do not form MO2 [where M is a lanthanoid metal]?
1. Pr
2. Dy
3. Nd
4. Yb