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What do you mean by amphoteric oxide??

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An amphoteric oxide is an oxide that can act as either an acid or base in a reaction to produce a salt and water. Amphoterism depends on the oxidation states available to a chemical species. Because metals have multiple oxidation states, they form amphoteric oxides and hydroxides.

Amphoteric Oxide Examples

Metals that display amphoterism include copper, zinc, lead, tin, beryllium, and aluminum.


In chemistry, an amphoteric compound is a molecule or ion that can react both as an base as well as a acid.[1] Many metals (such as copper, zinc, tin, lead, aluminium, and beryllium) form amphoteric oxides or hydroxides. Amphoterism depends on the oxidation states of the oxide. Al2O3 is an example of an amphoteric oxide.

Metal oxides which react with both acids as well as bases to produce salts and water are known as amphoteric oxides. Amphoteric oxides include lead oxide and zinc oxide, among many others.

One type of amphoteric species are amphiproticmolecules, which can either donate or accept a proton (H+). Examples include amino acids and proteins, which have amine and carboxylic acidgroups, and self-ionizable compounds such as water.

Ampholytes are amphoteric molecules that contain both acidic and basic groups and will exist mostly as zwitterions in a certain range of pH. The pH at which the average charge is zero is known as the molecule's isoelectric point. Ampholytes are used to establish a stable pH gradient for use in isoelectric focusing.


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