Question

(a) What happens when zinc granules are heated with sodium hydroxide solution? Write equation of the reaction which takes place.
(b) What happens when bases react with non-metal oxides? Explain with the help of an example. What does this reaction tell us about the nature of non-metal oxides?

Answer 1

(a) When zinc granules are heated with sodium hydroxide (base), sodium zincate salt is formed with the liberation of hydrogen gas.

$\mathrm{Zn}\left(s\right)+2\mathrm{NaOH}\left(aq\right)\stackrel{\mathrm{Heat}}{\to }{\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{ZnO}}_2\left(aq\right)+{\mathrm{H}}_2\left(g\right)$

(b) Bases react with non-metal oxides to form a salt and water.
Bases + Non-metal oxides Salt + Water

Example:
$2\mathrm{NaOH}\left(aq\right)+{\mathrm{CO}}_2\left(g\right)\to {\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3\left(aq\right)+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(l\right)$

Here, sodium hydroxide (base) reacts with carbon dioxide (non-metal oxide) to give sodium carbonate (salt) and water.

This reaction shows that non-metal oxides are acidic in nature.