Is cach oxide basic, acidic, or amphoteric in water? (a) \(\mathrm{MgO}\) (b) \(\mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{5}\) (c) \(\mathrm{CaO}\) (d) \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) (e) \(\mathrm{TeO}_{2}\)

Short Answer

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(a) Basic (b) Acidic (c) Basic (d) Acidic (e) Amphoteric

Step by step solution

01

Identify the nature of each oxide

Determine whether each oxide is a metal oxide or a non-metal oxide. Metal oxides are usually basic, non-metal oxides are usually acidic, and metalloids can form amphoteric oxides.
02

Examine \( \mathrm{MgO} \)

\( \mathrm{MgO}\) is a metal oxide (magnesium is a metal). Metal oxides are typically basic. When \( \mathrm{MgO}\) dissolves in water, it forms \( \mathrm{Mg(OH}_2\) which is a base.
03

Examine \( \mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\)

\( \mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\) is a non-metal oxide (nitrogen is a non-metal). Non-metal oxides are typically acidic. When \( \mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\) dissolves in water, it forms \( \mathrm{HNO}_3\) which is an acid.
04

Examine \( \mathrm{CaO} \)

\( \mathrm{CaO}\) is a metal oxide (calcium is a metal). Metal oxides are typically basic. When \( \mathrm{CaO}\) dissolves in water, it forms \( \mathrm{Ca(OH}_2\) which is a base.
05

Examine \( \mathrm{CO}_2 \)

\( \mathrm{CO}_2\) is a non-metal oxide (carbon is a non-metal). Non-metal oxides are typically acidic. When \( \mathrm{CO}_2\) dissolves in water, it forms \( \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{CO}_3\) which is an acid.
06

Examine \( \mathrm{TeO}_2 \)

\( \mathrm{TeO}_2\) is an oxide of a metalloid (tellurium is a metalloid). Some metalloids can form amphoteric oxides, and \( \mathrm{TeO}_2\) is one of them. It can react with both acids and bases, making it amphoteric.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

basic oxides
Basic oxides are predominantly formed by metals. These oxides react with water to produce a basic solution, often forming metal hydroxides. For example, when magnesium oxide (MgO) dissolves in water, it forms magnesium hydroxide \(\text{Mg(OH}_2)\), which is basic. Another common example is calcium oxide (CaO). When it dissolves in water, calcium hydroxide \(\text{Ca(OH}_2)\) is formed, which is also basic.

Basic oxides react with acids in neutralization reactions to form salts and water. This reaction is a key characteristic that identifies these compounds as basic.
acidic oxides
Acidic oxides are mostly formed by non-metals. These oxides react with water to produce an acidic solution, generally forming acids. For instance, nitrogen pentoxide (N\(_2\)O\(_5\)) is a non-metal oxide. When it dissolves in water, it forms nitric acid \(\text{HNO}_3)\), which is acidic.

Similarly, carbon dioxide \(CO_2\) is another non-metal oxide that reacts with water to form carbonic acid \(\text{H}_2\text{CO}_3)\). Acidic oxides can also react with basic oxides to produce salts, highlighting their acidic nature.
amphoteric oxides
Amphoteric oxides exhibit both acidic and basic properties. These oxides are often formed by metalloids or certain metals. An example is tellurium dioxide \(TeO_2\). Amphoteric oxides can react with both acids and bases, making them quite versatile.

In an acidic medium, amphoteric oxides like \(TeO_2\) can behave as bases and react to form salts and water. Conversely, in a basic medium, they can behave as acids. This dual behavior is characteristic of amphoteric oxides and is key to identifying them.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Boron nitride (BN) has a structure similar to graphite but is a white insulator rather than a black conductor. It is synthesized by heating diboron trioxide with ammonia at about \(1000^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) (a) Write a balanced cquation for the formation of BN; water also forms. (b) Calculate \(\Delta H_{\text {ran }}^{\circ}\) for the production of BN \(\left(\Delta H_{i}^{\circ}\right.\) of \(\mathrm{BN}\) is \(-254 \mathrm{~kJ} / \mathrm{mol})\) (c) Boron is obtained from the mineral borax, \(\mathrm{Na}_{2} \mathrm{~B}_{4} \mathrm{O}_{7} \cdot 10 \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}\). How much borax is needed to produce \(1.0 \mathrm{~kg}\) of BN, assuming \(72 \%\) yield?

Fluorine lies between oxygen and neon in Period \(2 .\) Whereas atomic sizes and ionization energies of these three elements change smoothly, their electronegativities display a dramatic change. What is this change, and how do their electron configurations explain it?

Given the following information, $$\begin{array}{rlrr}\mathrm{H}^{+}(g)+\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(g) & \longrightarrow \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}^{+}(g) & \Delta H=-720 \mathrm{~kJ} \\\ \mathrm{H}^{+}(g)+\mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(l) & \longrightarrow \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}^{+}(a q) & & \Delta H=-1090 \mathrm{~kJ} \\ \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(l) & \longrightarrow \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(g) & \Delta H= & 40.7 \mathrm{~kJ} \end{array}$$ calculate the heat of solution of the hydronium ion: $$\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}^{+}(g) \stackrel{\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}}{\longrightarrow} \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}^{+}(a q)$$

lime \((\mathrm{CaO})\) is one of the most abundantly produced chemicals in the world. Write balanced equations for these reactions: (a) The preparation of lime from natural sources (b) The use of slaked lime to remove \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}\) from flue gases (c) The reaction of lime with arsenic acid \(\left(\mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{~A} \mathrm{~s} \mathrm{O}_{4}\right)\) to manufacture the insecticide calcium arsenate (d) The regeneration of \(\mathrm{NaOH}\) in the paper industry by reaction of lime with aqueous sodium carbonate

Alkaline earth metals are involved in two key diagonal relationships in the periodic table. (a) Give the two pairs of elements in these diagonal relationships. (b) For each pair, cite two similarities that demonstrate the relationship. (c) Why are the members of each pair so similar in behavior?

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