Questions: 6.3 Reactions between Metals and Nonmetals: 5. What types of compounds form when metals and nonmetals react? 6. What is oxidation? Do metals or nonmetals oxidize more easily?

Solution Steps

When metals and nonmetals react, they typically form ionic compounds. This occurs because metals tend to lose electrons and become positively charged ions (cations), while nonmetals tend to gain electrons and become negatively charged ions (anions). The electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged ions results in the formation of an ionic bond, creating an ionic compound.

Oxidation is a chemical process in which an atom, ion, or molecule loses electrons. In the context of redox reactions, oxidation is always accompanied by reduction, where another species gains the electrons lost by the oxidized species.

Metals oxidize more easily than nonmetals. This is because metals have a tendency to lose electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration, often resembling the nearest noble gas. Nonmetals, on the other hand, are more likely to gain electrons rather than lose them.

Final Answer