Which of the following oxides is the most basic in nature?

Options

A. `Na_(2)O`
B. `BeO`
C. `Li_(2)O`
D. `H_(2)O`

Answer

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

### Step 1: Identify the Oxides
The oxides provided in the question are:
- A) Sodium Oxide (Na2O)
- B) Beryllium Oxide (BeO)
- C) Lithium Oxide (Li2O)
- D) Water (H2O)

### Step 2: Classify the Oxides
- **Sodium Oxide (Na2O)**: This is an oxide of an alkali metal and is known to be a strong basic oxide.
- **Beryllium Oxide (BeO)**: This oxide is amphoteric, meaning it can react with both acids and bases.
- **Lithium Oxide (Li2O)**: This is also an oxide of an alkali metal, but it is less basic than sodium oxide.
- **Water (H2O)**: This is a neutral oxide and does not exhibit basic properties.

### Step 3: Analyze Basicity
Basicity of oxides generally increases down the group in the periodic table for alkali metals. Sodium (Na) is below Lithium (Li) in the periodic table, which suggests that sodium oxide will be more basic than lithium oxide.

### Step 4: Compare Sodium Oxide and Lithium Oxide
When sodium oxide reacts with water, it forms sodium hydroxide (NaOH):
\[ \text{Na2O} + \text{H2O} \rightarrow 2 \text{NaOH} \]

When lithium oxide reacts with water, it forms lithium hydroxide (LiOH):
\[ \text{Li2O} + \text{H2O} \rightarrow 2 \text{LiOH} \]

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is known to be a stronger base than lithium hydroxide (LiOH) because NaOH dissociates more readily in water to produce OH⁻ ions.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Since sodium oxide produces a stronger base (NaOH) compared to lithium oxide (LiOH), and beryllium oxide is amphoteric (not basic), the most basic oxide among the options given is:
**A) Sodium Oxide (Na2O)**.