Question

Non-metals combine with oxygen to produce:

• A. acidic oxides
• B. basic oxide
• C. amphoteric oxide
• D. none of these

Answer 1

The correct option is A acidic oxides

Non-metals react with oxygen in the air to produce non-metal oxides. Here are two examples for the non-metals carbon and sulphur.

Carbon burns in air to form carbon dioxide:

$carbon+oxygen\to carbondioxide$

Sulphur burns in air to form sulphur dioxide:

$sulphur+oxygen\to sulphurdioxide$

Non-metal oxides such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are responsible foracid rain. They dissolve in the water in the clouds to form acidic solutions. Acid rain damages rocks and buildings, and harms wildlife.

Actually metal-oxides are basic and non-metal oxides are acidic.