What Determines the Products of Oxide Reactions with Water?

[Fusilli_Jerry89]

With the following examples:

Li2O + H2O -> 2OH- + 2Li+ basic
BeO + H2O -> Be(OH)2 basic
F2O + H2O -> 2HFO acidic

How do you know whether oxide reactions with water results in a single product such as HFO or Be(OH)2 and when it results in ions, such as OH- and Li+? I assume it is because Li does not hydrolyze, but I am still a little confused. Do all basic oxides react with water to form a product with (OH) in it? Can anyone help explain this a little better?

I have tried the following examples to see if I know what I am doing:

SO2 + H2O -> H2SO3
Na2O + H2O -> 2Na+ + 2OH-

 

[GCT]

With the following examples:

Li2O + H2O -> 2OH- + 2Li+ basic
BeO + H2O -> Be(OH)2 basic
F2O + H2O -> 2HFO acidic

How do you know whether oxide reactions with water results in a single product such as HFO or Be(OH)2 and when it results in ions, such as OH- and Li+? I assume it is because Li does not hydrolyze, but I am still a little confused. Do all basic oxides react with water to form a product with (OH) in it? Can anyone help explain this a little better?

I have tried the following examples to see if I know what I am doing:

SO2 + H2O -> H2SO3
Na2O + H2O -> 2Na+ + 2OH-

From my recollection, acidic and basic oxides with water becomes two products. You may want to read upon this topic a bit more in your standard chemistry text.

 

[Blueshift5]

Thank you for your question. Oxides are compounds that contain oxygen and another element. When these oxides are mixed with water, they can undergo a chemical reaction to form either a single product or ions.

In the case of Li2O and BeO, they are both basic oxides because they contain the elements lithium and beryllium, respectively, which are in the first two columns of the periodic table. These elements have a low electronegativity, meaning they have a tendency to lose electrons and form positive ions. When these oxides react with water, they release hydroxide ions (OH-) and the corresponding positive ions (Li+ and Be2+). This is because the metal ions are attracted to the negative oxygen atoms in water, causing them to break apart from the oxide compound.

On the other hand, F2O is an acidic oxide because it contains the element fluorine, which has a high electronegativity. This means that fluorine has a tendency to gain electrons and form negative ions. When F2O reacts with water, it releases hydrogen ions (H+) and the corresponding negative ions (F-). This is because the fluorine atoms are attracted to the positive hydrogen atoms in water, causing them to break apart from the oxide compound.

In general, basic oxides react with water to form products that contain hydroxide ions, while acidic oxides react with water to form products that contain hydrogen ions. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, and it ultimately depends on the specific elements and their electronegativities.

Your examples of SO2 and Na2O are correct. SO2 is an acidic oxide, so it reacts with water to form H2SO3, which contains hydrogen ions. Na2O is a basic oxide, so it reacts with water to form NaOH, which contains hydroxide ions.

I hope this helps to clarify the concept of oxide reactions with water. Keep in mind that electronegativity and the types of elements present in the oxide compound play a key role in determining the products of these reactions. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.