Question

Predict the products of the following oxides with water: \(\mathrm{Na}_{2} \mathrm{O}, \mathrm{BaO}, \mathrm{CO}_{2}, \mathrm{~N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{5}, \mathrm{P}_{4} \mathrm{O}_{10}, \mathrm{SO}_{3} .\) Write an equation for each of the reactions. Specify whether the oxides are acidic, basic, or amphoteric.

Short answer

Na2O and BaO are basic, forming NaOH and Ba(OH)2. CO2, N2O5, P4O10, and SO3 are acidic, forming acids (H2CO3, HNO3, H3PO4, H2SO4).

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Types of Oxides

Oxides can be classified as acidic, basic, or amphoteric based on their behavior with water. Acidic oxides react with water to form acids, basic oxides react with water to form bases, and amphoteric oxides can form either acids or bases depending on the conditions.

Predicting Products for Sodium Oxide (\(\mathrm{Na}_2\mathrm{O}\))

\(\mathrm{Na}_2\mathrm{O}\) is a basic oxide as it is an oxide of an alkali metal. When it reacts with water, it forms sodium hydroxide (a base):\[\mathrm{Na}_2\mathrm{O} + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow 2\mathrm{NaOH}\]

Predicting Products for Barium Oxide (\(\mathrm{BaO}\))

\(\mathrm{BaO}\) is also a basic oxide due to it being an oxide of an alkaline earth metal. It reacts with water to form barium hydroxide:\[\mathrm{BaO} + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow \mathrm{Ba(OH)}_2\]

Predicting Products for Carbon Dioxide (\(\mathrm{CO}_2\))

\(\mathrm{CO}_2\) is an acidic oxide. It reacts with water to form carbonic acid:\[\mathrm{CO}_2 + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{CO}_3\]

Predicting Products for Dinitrogen Pentoxide (\(\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\))

\(\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\) is an acidic oxide and reacts with water to produce nitric acid:\[\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5 + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow 2\mathrm{HNO}_3\]

Predicting Products for Tetraphosphorus Decaoxide (\(\mathrm{P}_4\mathrm{O}_{10}\))

\(\mathrm{P}_4\mathrm{O}_{10}\) is acidic and reacts with water to form phosphoric acid:\[\mathrm{P}_4\mathrm{O}_{10} + 6\mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow 4\mathrm{H}_3\mathrm{PO}_4\]

Predicting Products for Sulfur Trioxide (\(\mathrm{SO}_3\))

\(\mathrm{SO}_3\) is another acidic oxide that combines with water to yield sulfuric acid:\[\mathrm{SO}_3 + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{SO}_4\]

Classifying Each Oxide

\(\mathrm{Na}_2\mathrm{O}\) and \(\mathrm{BaO}\) are basic oxides. \(\mathrm{CO}_2\), \(\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\), \(\mathrm{P}_4\mathrm{O}_{10}\), and \(\mathrm{SO}_3\) are acidic oxides.

Key concepts

Acidic Oxides

Acidic oxides are chemical compounds formed when nonmetals react with oxygen. These oxides show a unique characteristic – they react with water to produce acids. This behavior is typical because the nonmetals involved generally have a high electronegativity, which results in the oxide exhibiting acidic properties.

When an acidic oxide such as carbon dioxide (\(\mathrm{CO}_2\)in)comes into contact with water, it forms carbonic acid:\[\mathrm{CO}_2 + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{CO}_3\]

Similarly, sulfur trioxide (\(\mathrm{SO}_3\)in)reacts to form sulfuric acid:\[\mathrm{SO}_3 + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{SO}_4\]

Here are some examples of acidic oxides and their corresponding acids after reacting with water:

• Carbon dioxide (\(\mathrm{CO}_2\)in) -> Carbonic acid
• Sulfur trioxide (\(\mathrm{SO}_3\)in) -> Sulfuric acid
• Dinitrogen pentoxide (\(\mathrm{N}_2\mathrm{O}_5\)in) -> Nitric acid
• Tetraphosphorus decaoxide (\(\mathrm{P}_4\mathrm{O}_{10}\)in) -> Phosphoric acid

This behavior makes acidic oxides important in understanding chemical reactions in environmental science, such as acid rain formation.

Basic Oxides

Basic oxides are typically formed from metals, especially those from the alkali and alkaline earth metal groups. These oxides are noted for their ability to react with water to form bases, specifically hydroxides, which are substances that can accept hydrogen ions. This makes basic oxides fundamental in various chemical processes, particularly those involving neutralization reactions.

Take sodium oxide (\(\mathrm{Na}_2\mathrm{O}\)in) for example. It reacts with water to form sodium hydroxide:\[\mathrm{Na}_2\mathrm{O} + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow 2\mathrm{NaOH}\]

Barium oxide (\(\mathrm{BaO}\)in) follows a similar pattern, reacting with water to yield barium hydroxide:\[\mathrm{BaO} + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow \mathrm{Ba(OH)}_2\]

Here are some examples of basic oxides:

• Sodium oxide (\(\mathrm{Na}_2\mathrm{O}\)in) -> Sodium hydroxide
• Barium oxide (\(\mathrm{BaO}\)in) -> Barium hydroxide

These compounds are crucial in many industrial applications, for instance, in the manufacture of household cleaning products and in industries for removing sulfur impurities from fuels.

Amphoteric Oxides

Amphoteric oxides possess unique dual characteristics, meaning they can act as either acids or bases, depending on the surrounding environment or the reaction partner. This versatile behavior is particularly due to their ability to react with both acids and bases. While there were no amphoteric oxides mentioned in the original exercise, understanding them is crucial for a comprehensive grasp of chemical reaction behaviors.

Zinc oxide (\(\mathrm{ZnO}\)in) is a classic example of an amphoteric oxide. It can react with hydrochloric acid to form zinc chloride:\[\mathrm{ZnO} + 2\mathrm{HCl} \rightarrow \mathrm{ZnCl}_2 + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O}\]

Conversely, it reacts with sodium hydroxide to produce sodium zincate:\[\mathrm{ZnO} + 2\mathrm{NaOH} + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \rightarrow \mathrm{Na}_2\mathrm{Zn(OH)}_4\]

Other examples of amphoteric oxides include:

• Aluminum oxide (\(\mathrm{Al}_2\mathrm{O}_3\)in)
• Lead(II) oxide (\(\mathrm{PbO}\)in)
• Chromium(III) oxide (\(\mathrm{Cr}_2\mathrm{O}_3\)in)

These oxides are particularly important in materials science and metallurgy, where they are involved in corrosion resistance and refining processes.