Question

Which element of the 2nd period forms the most acidic oxide?
A. Fluorine
B. Nitrogen
C. Boron
D. Carbon

Answer 1

Hint: Oxides of an element from a periodic table can be acidic, basic, amphoteric in nature. In general, the electropositive character of the oxide’s central atom will determine whether the oxide will be acidic or basic. The more electropositive the central atom, the more basic the oxide. The more electronegative the central atom, the more acidic the oxide.

Complete step by step answer:
Generally which oxides dissolve on water and the production base is called basic oxides. The most basic oxides include: for example, Sodium oxide, which reacts with water to produce sodium hydroxide,
 \[N{a_2}O + {H_2}O \to NaOH\]
Magnesium oxide, which reacts with hydrochloric acid to form magnesium chloride, Copper (II) oxide, which reacts with nitric acid to form copper nitrate.
Generally which oxides dissolve in water and produce acids, are known as acidic oxides.
 \[MgO + HCl \to MgC{l_2} + {H_2}O\]
The more electronegative the central atom, the more acidic the oxide.
Therefore, among the given compounds, fluorine has the highest electronegativity, so fluorine forms the most acidic oxide in the 2nd period.

So, the correct answer is A.

Note:
On the other hand, some oxides which can react with both acid and base are known as amphoteric oxides. For example, Aluminum oxide, beryllium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide all are amphoteric. They have reactions as both a base and an acid. The oxide ions are held too strongly in the solid lattice to react with the water.
Aluminum oxide contains oxide ions, and thus reacts with acids in the same way sodium or magnesium oxides do. It acts as an acid with the base, and a base with an acid, neutralizing the other and producing a salt.
\[SnO\] reacts with strong acid to give tin(II) salts and in the reaction with a strong base \[SnO\] gives stannites containing \[Sn{\left( {OH} \right)_3}^ - \]