Among the following metal oxides, which is most basic?

Options

A. `ZnO`
B. `Al_(2)O_(3)`
C. `As_(2)O_(3)`
D. `K_(2)O`

Answer

To determine which among the given metal oxides is the most basic, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Metal Oxides
The metal oxides provided are:
1. ZnO (Zinc Oxide)
2. Al2O3 (Aluminum Oxide)
3. As2O3 (Arsenic Oxide)
4. K2O (Potassium Oxide)

### Step 2: Understand Basicity of Metal Oxides
Metal oxides can be classified based on their basicity:
- **Basic Oxides**: Typically formed by alkali and alkaline earth metals. They tend to react with acids to form salts and water.
- **Amphoteric Oxides**: These can react with both acids and bases. Examples include ZnO and Al2O3.
- **Acidic Oxides**: Generally formed by non-metals or metalloids. They react with bases.

### Step 3: Analyze Each Oxide
- **K2O (Potassium Oxide)**: This is an oxide of an alkali metal (Potassium) and is highly basic.
- **ZnO (Zinc Oxide)**: This is amphoteric; it has both acidic and basic properties but is less basic than K2O.
- **Al2O3 (Aluminum Oxide)**: This is also amphoteric, similar to ZnO, but typically less basic than K2O.
- **As2O3 (Arsenic Oxide)**: This is generally considered acidic and does not exhibit basic properties.

### Step 4: Compare Basicity
From the analysis:
- K2O is a strong basic oxide due to the electropositive nature of potassium.
- ZnO and Al2O3 are amphoteric and less basic than K2O.
- As2O3 is acidic.

### Conclusion
Among the given metal oxides, **K2O (Potassium Oxide)** is the most basic.

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