Which of the following oxidation states are the most characteristic for lead and tin respectively?

Due to the inert pair effect, the stability of the lower oxidation state increases as we move down Group 14.For Tin ($\text{Sn}$), the $+4$ oxidation state is more stable than $+2$.For Lead ($\text{Pb}$), the $+2$ oxidation state is more stable than $+4$.Thus, the most characteristic states are $+2$ for $\text{Pb}$ and $+4$ for $\text{Sn}$.