Which of the following oxides is amphoteric in nature? | General Science MCQ | Examoogle

Back to Practice Questions

General SciencePrevious Year Paper 2024

Prev Next

Which of the following oxides is amphoteric in nature?

Sodium peroxide

Copper oxide

Calcium oxide

Aluminium oxide

Correct Answer

🔬 SC • Science Concept & PrincipleGeneral SciencePrevious Year Paper 2024

Option D

Aluminium oxide

Quick Summary:

Aluminium oxide ( $Al_{2}O_{3}$ ) is an amphoteric oxide because it can react with both acids and bases to produce salt and water. This dual nature allows it to demonstrate properties of both acidic and basic oxides depending on the reaction environment.

🎯

Crack Previous Year Paper 2024 with Examoogle SuperTeachers

Get Free Demo Classes & Live Mocks →

🔬SCScience SolutionConcept & Principle

💡 Explanation

💡 Everyday Analogy (Real-World Intuition)

Think of an amphoteric substance like a chameleon; it changes its chemical 'color' to match the situation, acting like an acid in a basic environment and a base in an acidic environment.

🧠 Memory Mnemonic / Shortcut Aid

Remember 'ZAB' (Zinc, Aluminium, Beryllium) as the common amphoteric metal oxides.

🔢 Key Formulas

$Al_{2}O_{3} + 6HCl \rightarrow 2AlCl_{3} + 3H_{2}O$

$Al_{2}O_{3} + 2NaOH \rightarrow 2NaAlO_{2} + H_{2}O$

⚙️ Working Principle

An amphoteric substance acts as a base when reacting with a strong acid and as an acid when reacting with a strong base. For instance, it reacts with hydrochloric acid to form aluminium chloride and water, and with sodium hydroxide to form sodium aluminate ( $NaAlO_{2}$ ). The chemical equations are: $Al_{2}O_{3} + 6HCl \rightarrow 2AlCl_{3} + 3H_{2}O$ and $Al_{2}O_{3} + 2NaOH \rightarrow 2NaAlO_{2} + H_{2}O$ .

📌 Key Points

▸
Amphoteric oxides react with both acids and bases.
▸
Common amphoteric oxides include $Al_{2}O_{3}$ , $ZnO$ , $PbO$ , and $SnO_{2}$ .
▸
Sodium peroxide ( $Na_{2}O_{2}$ ) is a strong oxidizing agent and basic in nature.
▸
Calcium oxide ( $CaO$ ) is a basic oxide that reacts with water to form a strong base, calcium hydroxide.

✅ Advantages

▸
Amphoteric oxides like aluminium oxide are chemically versatile and used in protective coatings.

🛠️ Applications / Uses

▸
Used in the extraction of aluminium through the Bayer process.
▸
Used as a catalyst and adsorbent in chemical industries.

📄 Additional Information

▸
Copper(II) oxide ( $CuO$ ) is primarily basic in nature.
▸
Sodium peroxide ( $Na_{2}O_{2}$ ) is a basic oxide that reacts with water to produce $NaOH$ and $H_{2}O_{2}$ .

📊 Diagram / Illustration

✅

D is correct — Aluminium oxide ( $Al_{2}O_{3}$ ) exhibits amphoteric nature by reacting with both acids and bases.

Core Concepts Used

Click any tag to open in AI Tutor

Amphoteric oxides Acid-Base Chemistry Metallic Oxides

💡 EXAM TIP

Always remember the list of amphoteric oxides (Al, Zn, Pb, Sn) as they are frequently tested in competitive exams under the topic of 'Nature of Oxides'.

Was this solution helpful?

⚡ Practice on Android App · 4.8 ★

Solve 10,000+ More Questions with AI Tutor

Get instant step-by-step AI explanations, full shift Previous Year Papers (SSC GD, RRB, SSC JE), and regional rank analysis on the official Examoogle App.

Free Download • 100K+ Aspirants

Discussion (0)

Loading discussion...

Prev Next

Correct Answer

Solve 10,000+ More Questions with AI Tutor

Related Questions

Discussion (0)