Why is sodium oxide (NA2O) basic?
Usually I would say that a substance is basic if it contains the -OH molecule but sodium oxide doesn't.
Obviously it has a pH > 7 but are there any other reasons WHY it's basic?
Thanks!
Usually I would say that a substance is basic if it contains the -OH molecule but sodium oxide doesn't.
Obviously it has a pH > 7 but are there any other reasons WHY it's basic?
Thanks!
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Na2O --> 2Na+ + O2-
It is basic since O2- + H2O --> 2OH-
Just because it doesn't contain OH- does not necessarily mean it's not a base. there are metal hydrites such as NaH that is basic, there are organic bases such as NH3 or CH3NH2, and then there are also anions, which are conjugate bases of both weak and strong acids, such as CH3-, Cl-, HSO4-, etc.
what you are dealing with here is a metal hydrite. It uses a bimolecular step mechanism to show its basicity.
It is basic since O2- + H2O --> 2OH-
Just because it doesn't contain OH- does not necessarily mean it's not a base. there are metal hydrites such as NaH that is basic, there are organic bases such as NH3 or CH3NH2, and then there are also anions, which are conjugate bases of both weak and strong acids, such as CH3-, Cl-, HSO4-, etc.
what you are dealing with here is a metal hydrite. It uses a bimolecular step mechanism to show its basicity.
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since when you add water you obtain NaOH which is basic
Na2O+2H2O--> 2NaOH + 2H2O
Na2O+2H2O--> 2NaOH + 2H2O