Question

Why is zinc and aluminum considered to have unique nature? Give balanced equations to support your answer.

Answer 1

Zinc and aluminium are considered to have a unique nature for the following reasons: They can react with acids and alkali to form hydrogen and soluble salt.
For example:
$Zn+2NaOH\to N{a}_{2}Zn{O}_2+H_2$
$2Al+6NaOH\to 2N{a}_{2}Al{O}_3+3H_2$

ii) The oxides and hydroxides of zinc and aluminium are amphoteric. That is, they react with both bases and acids to give salt and water.
For example:
$ZnO+2HCl\to ZnC{l}_2+H_{2}O$
$ZnO+2NaOH\to N{a}_{2}Zn{O}_2+H_{2}O$
$A{l}_2{O}_3+6HCl\to 2AlC{l}_3+3H_{2}O$
$A{l}_2{O}_3+2NaOH\to 2NaAl{O}_2+H_{2}O$