Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): The EDTA ⁴⁻ ion binds through two nitrogen and four oxygen donor atoms to a central metal ion. Reason (R): EDTA ⁴⁻ is a hexadentate ligand. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Step-by-step solution

Assertion (A) is correct because the structure of the ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA ⁴⁻ ) ion contains two nitrogen atoms and four oxygen atoms (from four acetate groups) that act as donor sites. Reason (R) is also correct because a ligand that binds through six donor atoms is termed a hexadentate ligand. However, Reason (R) is not the correct explanation for Assertion (A). The classification of the ligand as hexadentate is a consequence of its structure, but the term 'hexadentate' itself does not explain why th