Question

What is an amphoteric oxide? Give an example.

Answer 1

.Amphoteric oxides:

• Ampjoteric oxides are the oxides that show the property of acids as well as bases.
• Since these oxides show the property of both acid and base so they also react with acid as well as a base to form salt and water.
• Example- Zinc oxide($\mathrm{ZnO}$), Aluminum oxide(${\mathrm{Al}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_3$), etc.

Example of amphoteric oxides:

• Let us take the example of Zinc oxide.
• Zinc oxide reacts with Hydrochloric acid to give Zinc chloride and water.
• $\underset{\mathrm{Zinc}\mathrm{oxide}}{\mathrm{ZnO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Hydrochloric}\mathrm{acid}}{2\mathrm{HCl}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Zinc}\mathrm{chloride}}{{\mathrm{ZnCl}}_2\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}$
• Zinc oxide reacts with Sodium hydroxide to give Sodium zincate and water.
• $\underset{\mathrm{Zinc}\mathrm{oxide}}{\mathrm{ZnO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{hydroxide}}{2\mathrm{NaOH}\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{zincate}}{{\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{ZnO}}_2\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}$