Question

What type of oxides are formed when nonmetals and metals react with oxygen? Explain with an example.

Answer 1

Hint: We know that the metals react with oxygen to form their respective metal oxides and non-metals combine with oxygen to give their oxides. All the non-metals except fluorine undergo oxidation in order to form oxides.

Complete answer:
As we know in the case of the type of the oxides of non-metals, they mean either acidic or basic or neutral. The oxides of non-metals give acids upon their reaction with bases like water. We can divide the elements in certain categories depending upon their character as metals, non-metals, metalloids and noble gases. Generally, non-metals are the compounds which have an incomplete p-orbital. That means that the non-metals are the p-block elements. We can see that Sulphur undergoes oxidation in order to give Sulphur dioxide. Now, the nature of Sulphur dioxide is acidic. We know that it reacts with water to give sulphuric acid. Nitrogen can also combine with oxygen to give nitrogen oxides. Non-metals are the elements which are electronegative in nature. They can accept electrons to achieve noble gas configuration. Non-metals do not show properties like ductility, malleability, sonorous, lustrous etc.
Some non-metals are carbon, Sulphur, oxygen etc. Some properties of Nonmetals are, they are very soft, bad conductors of electricity, neither malleable nor ductile, non-sonorous etc. They do not undergo reaction with acids, they do not react with water also. They react with chlorine to result in covalent chlorides which act as non-electrolytes. When nonmetals react with oxygen, they form acidic oxides or neutral oxides. Example: Carbon reacts with oxygen to form an acidic oxide called carbon dioxide. Hydrogen reacts with oxygen to form neutral oxide called water. When metals combine with oxygen, they form basic oxides Example: Sodium reacts with oxygen to form a basic oxide called sodium oxides.

Note:
Remember that the oxides of metals are basic in nature. The oxides of all the non-metals are acidic in nature. However, metals like aluminum form oxides which are amphoteric i.e., they can act as both acidic as well as basic.