Consider the following elements:

Sodium, Sulphur, Carbon, Magnesium


Which of these elements will form:


(a) acidic oxides.


(b) Basic oxides.

(a) Carbon and Sulphur will form acidic oxides. Nonmetals react with oxygen to form nonmetallic oxides. These oxides differ from metallic oxides because they are acidic in nature. Nonmetallic oxides react with water to form acids. Therefore, oxides of sulphur and carbon i.e. sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide are acidic in nature.

(b) Sodium and magnesium oxides will be basic in nature. Metals react with oxygen to form metallic oxides. These metallic oxides are basic because they react with water to form bases.


50