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Which of the following oxides is most ac...

Which of the following oxides is most acidic ?

A

`As_(2) O_(5)`

B

`P_(2) O_(5)`

C

`N_(2) O_(5)`

D

`Sb_(2) O_(5)`

Text Solution

AI Generated Solution

The correct Answer is:
To determine which of the given oxides is the most acidic, we need to analyze the oxides of the elements listed: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Arsenic, and Antimony. These elements belong to Group 15 of the periodic table, and their oxides are generally classified based on their acidic or basic nature. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Identify the Oxides**: - Nitrogen forms N₂O₅ (dinitrogen pentoxide). - Phosphorus forms P₂O₅ (diphosphorus pentoxide). - Arsenic forms As₂O₅ (diarsenic pentoxide). - Antimony forms Sb₂O₅ (diantimony pentoxide). 2. **Understand Acidic Nature**: - Oxides can be classified as acidic, basic, or amphoteric. Generally, non-metal oxides tend to be acidic, while metal oxides are usually basic. - Among the non-metal oxides, the acidity tends to increase with the covalent character of the oxide. 3. **Covalent vs. Ionic Character**: - The covalent character of an oxide increases as the size of the cation decreases and the size of the anion increases. - In this case, since all the anions (O²⁻) are the same, we focus on the cations (N, P, As, Sb). 4. **Trends in Group 15**: - As we move down the group from Nitrogen to Antimony, the size of the cation increases. - A smaller cation has a higher polarizing power, which leads to a more covalent character in the oxide. 5. **Cation Size and Covalent Character**: - Nitrogen (smallest cation) → most covalent character → most acidic oxide (N₂O₅). - Antimony (largest cation) → least covalent character → least acidic oxide (Sb₂O₅). 6. **Conclusion**: - Among the oxides N₂O₅, P₂O₅, As₂O₅, and Sb₂O₅, N₂O₅ has the highest covalent character and is therefore the most acidic oxide. ### Final Answer: The most acidic oxide among the given options is **N₂O₅** (dinitrogen pentoxide). ---
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