Which of the following oxides is most basic ?

Options

A. `Na_(2)O`
B. `MgO`
C. `Al_(2)O_(3)`
D. `CuO`

Explanation

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

### Step 1: Identify the Oxides
The oxides provided in the question are:
1. Na2O (Sodium Oxide)
2. MgO (Magnesium Oxide)
3. Al2O3 (Aluminum Oxide)
4. CO (Copper Oxide)

### Step 2: Understand Basicity of Oxides
Metallic oxides are generally basic in nature. The basicity of an oxide tends to decrease as you move from left to right across a period in the periodic table. This is because non-metallic character increases, leading to more acidic oxides.

### Step 3: Analyze Each Oxide
- **Na2O**: Sodium oxide is from Group 1 (alkali metal) and is highly basic.
- **MgO**: Magnesium oxide is from Group 2 (alkaline earth metal) and is also basic, but less so than Na2O.
- **Al2O3**: Aluminum oxide is amphoteric, meaning it can act as both an acid and a base, but it is less basic compared to Na2O and MgO.
- **CO**: Copper oxide is less basic than the alkali and alkaline earth metal oxides.

### Step 4: Compare Oxidation States
The oxidation states of the metals in the oxides are:
- Na in Na2O: +1
- Mg in MgO: +2
- Al in Al2O3: +3
- Cu in CO: +2

The lower the oxidation state, the more basic the oxide tends to be. Sodium has the lowest oxidation state (+1), which indicates that Na2O will be the most basic.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Based on the analysis of the oxides and their oxidation states, the most basic oxide among the given options is **Na2O** (Sodium Oxide).

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