Phosphorus is a non-metal. It burns in oxygen to form the oxide P4O10, which dissolves in water to give phosphoric acid. What type of oxide is P4O10?
Question 1 Report
Phosphorus is a non-metal. It burns in oxygen to form the oxide P4O10, which dissolves in water to give phosphoric acid. What type of oxide is P4O10?
Answer Details
Non-metals form covalent oxides that dissolve in water to release hydrogen ions, making the solution acidic. The question states that P4O10 dissolves to give phosphoric acid, H3PO4, so its solution has a pH below 7 and the oxide is acidic. It also reacts with alkalis to form salts, in this case phosphates.
The evidence given, a non-metal element and an acid in water, rules out the alternatives directly: basic oxides come from metals and give alkaline solutions, neutral oxides such as carbon monoxide give no reaction and pH 7, and amphoteric oxides such as aluminium oxide react with both acids and alkalis. Use the element type as the first clue and the water test to confirm.
Download The App On Google Playstore
Everything you need to excel in your exams
